sports
Athletics, competition, and the games we play — rules, history, and the science of physical performance.
85 articles
What Is Aikido?
Aikido is a Japanese martial art focused on redirecting an attacker's energy rather than meeting force with force. Learn its history, techniques, and.
What Is American Football?
American football is a team sport played on a 100-yard field where two teams of 11 compete to advance an oval ball into the opposing end zone.
What Is Angling?
Angling is the sport of catching fish using a hook, line, and rod. Learn about techniques, equipment, types of fishing, and why millions find it irresistible.
What Is Archery?
Archery is the skill of shooting arrows with a bow. Learn about its ancient origins, modern competitive formats, equipment types, and Olympic events.
What Is Athletics?
Athletics is a collection of sporting events including running, jumping, throwing, and walking competitions. It forms the core of the modern Olympic Games.
What Is Backpacking?
Backpacking is independent, budget-conscious travel where you carry your belongings in a backpack, often combining hiking and cultural exploration.
What Is Basketball?
Basketball is a fast-paced team sport where two teams of five try to score by shooting a ball through a 10-foot-high hoop on the opponent's court.
What Is Bird Watching?
Bird watching (birding) is the observation and identification of wild birds in their natural habitat, enjoyed by over 45 million Americans as a hobby.
What Is Camping?
Camping is the outdoor recreational activity of staying overnight in temporary shelters like tents, RVs, or hammocks, typically in natural settings.
What Is Canoeing?
Canoeing is the activity of paddling a canoe — an open, lightweight boat propelled by single-bladed paddles — on rivers, lakes, and coastal waters.
What Is Caving?
Caving (spelunking) is the recreational exploration of natural cave systems, involving climbing, crawling, and navigating underground passages.
What Is Cheerleading?
Cheerleading is a physical activity combining dance, gymnastics, stunts, and chanting to support sports teams or compete as an independent sport.
What Is Competitive Eating?
Competitive eating is a sport where contestants race to consume large quantities of food. Learn about its history, top eaters, events, and controversies.
What Is Curling?
Curling is a winter sport where players slide stones across ice toward a target. Learn about rules, strategy, sweeping, and why it's called chess on ice.
What Is Cycling?
Cycling is riding a bicycle for transport, exercise, or sport. Learn about road cycling, mountain biking, racing, health benefits, and getting started.
What Is Diving?
Diving includes scuba, free diving, and competitive platform diving. Learn about techniques, equipment, certification, and why humans love going underwater.
What Is Equestrianism?
Equestrianism covers all equestrian sports and horsemanship. Explore disciplines like dressage, show jumping, eventing, polo, and riding fundamentals.
What Is Falconry?
Falconry is the ancient art of hunting with trained birds of prey. Learn about its 4,000-year history, techniques, and modern practice.
What Is Fencing?
Fencing is a combat sport using swords — foil, epee, or sabre. Learn about the rules, weapons, techniques, and Olympic history of this ancient sport.
What Is Field Hockey?
Field hockey is a team sport where players use curved sticks to hit a ball into a goal. Learn about rules, positions, equipment, and Olympic history.
What Is Figure Skating?
Figure skating combines athletic jumps, spins, and footwork with artistic expression on ice. Learn about its disciplines, scoring, and Olympic history.
What Is Fishing?
Fishing is the practice of catching fish for food, sport, or livelihood. Learn about techniques, gear, regulations, and the global fishing industry.
What Is Gliding?
Gliding is the sport of flying engineless aircraft using natural air currents. Learn about sailplanes, thermal flying, and how to get started.
What Is Gymnastics?
Gymnastics combines strength, flexibility, and artistry in events like floor, vault, and bars. Learn about disciplines, scoring, training, and Olympic history.
What Is Handball?
Handball is a fast-paced team sport where players throw a ball into a goal. Learn about rules, positions, Olympic history, and why it's so popular in Europe.
What Is Hockey?
Hockey is a fast-paced team sport played on ice or field where players use sticks to score goals. Learn about rules, positions, equipment, and history.
What Is Horse Racing?
Horse racing is a competitive sport where thoroughbreds race on tracks for speed. Learn about types, the Triple Crown, betting, and controversies.
What Is Ice Climbing?
Ice climbing is ascending frozen waterfalls and ice formations using specialized gear. Learn about techniques, equipment, grading, and safety.
What Is Ice Hockey?
Ice hockey is a fast team sport played on ice where skaters use sticks to shoot a puck into the goal. Learn about rules, positions, and the NHL.
What Is Ice Skating?
Ice skating is gliding on ice using bladed boots. Learn about figure skating, speed skating, recreational skating, and how to get started on the ice.
What Is Judo?
Judo is a Japanese martial art focused on throws and grappling, now an Olympic sport. Learn about techniques, belt rankings, and its founding philosophy.
What Is Marksmanship?
Marksmanship is the skill of accurately shooting firearms or other projectile weapons. Learn about techniques, disciplines, competitions, and training.
What Is Martial Arts?
Martial arts are codified fighting systems practiced for self-defense, fitness, and personal growth. Learn about styles, history, and benefits.
What Is Miniature Golf?
Miniature golf is a scaled-down version of golf played on short courses with creative obstacles. Learn about its history, design, and cultural appeal.
What Is Motorcycle Maintenance?
Motorcycle maintenance covers the routine care and repair of motorcycles to ensure safety and performance. Learn about essential tasks, tools, and schedules.
What Is Motorcycle Racing?
Motorcycle racing is competitive motorsport on two wheels, from MotoGP to motocross. Learn about disciplines, famous races, and the sport's appeal.
What Is Mountain Biking?
Mountain biking is off-road cycling on rough terrain using specially designed bikes. Learn about disciplines, equipment, trails, and getting started.
What Is Mountaineering?
Mountaineering is the sport of climbing mountains using specialized skills and equipment. Learn about techniques, gear, famous peaks, and how to start.
What Is Paragliding?
Paragliding is a recreational flying sport using a lightweight fabric wing launched from hillsides. Learn about the gear, training, and experience.
What Is Physical Education?
Physical education teaches movement skills, fitness, and healthy habits through structured activity in schools. Learn about its goals, benefits, and methods.
What Is Pontoon Boating?
Pontoon boating uses flat-decked boats supported by aluminum tubes for relaxed cruising on lakes and rivers. Here's what to know.
What Is Powerlifting?
Powerlifting is a strength sport where athletes compete in the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Learn the rules, training, and culture.
What Is Race Car Driving?
Race car driving is the competitive sport of driving vehicles at high speeds on circuits or courses. Learn about the types, skills, and risks.
What Is Racquetball?
Racquetball is a fast-paced indoor sport played with a hollow rubber ball in an enclosed court. Learn the rules, strategy, and history.
What Is Rafting?
Rafting is a water sport where groups ride inflatable rafts through river rapids. Learn the classification system, skills, and safety basics.
What Is Recreational Flying?
Recreational flying is piloting aircraft for personal enjoyment rather than commercial purposes. Learn about licenses, costs, and aircraft types.
What Is Riding (Horse)?
Horse riding is the skill of sitting on and controlling a horse. Learn about riding styles, equipment, and what beginners should know.
What Is Road Cycling?
Road cycling is the sport of riding lightweight bicycles on paved roads for fitness, competition, or recreation. Learn the basics and gear.
What Is Rock Climbing?
Rock climbing is the sport of ascending rock faces using physical skill and specialized gear. Learn about the types, grading, and how to start.
What Is Rope Skipping?
Rope skipping (jump rope) is a fitness activity where you swing a rope under your feet while jumping. Learn techniques, benefits, and competitive forms.
What Is Rowing?
Rowing is a water sport where athletes propel boats using oars. Learn about the techniques, equipment, and competitive side of this demanding endurance sport.
What Is Rugby?
Rugby is a contact team sport played with an oval ball where players score by carrying or kicking the ball into the opponent's goal area.
What Is Running?
Running is the most natural form of human locomotion beyond walking. Learn about technique, training, health benefits, and racing distances.
What Is Sailing?
Sailing is the practice of using wind to propel a boat across water. Learn about the physics, boat types, racing, and how to get started.
What Is Scuba Diving?
Scuba diving lets you breathe underwater using portable air tanks. Learn about equipment, certification, safety, and what it's like below the surface.
What Is Shooting Sports?
Shooting sports are competitive and recreational activities involving firearms or air guns for target accuracy. Learn about disciplines, safety, and history.
What Is Skateboarding?
Skateboarding is a sport and culture built around riding and performing tricks on a skateboard. Learn about its history, techniques, and cultural impact.
What Is Skiing?
Skiing is a winter sport where you glide over snow on long, narrow boards attached to boots. Learn about alpine, cross-country, and freestyle skiing.
What Is Skydiving?
Skydiving is the sport of jumping from aircraft and freefalling before deploying a parachute. Learn about training, safety, and what the experience is like.
What Is Snorkeling?
Snorkeling lets you observe underwater life while floating on the surface with a mask, snorkel, and fins. Learn how to start and where to go.
What Is Snowboarding?
Snowboarding is a winter sport where you ride a single board down snow-covered slopes. Learn about styles, equipment, history, and getting started.
What Is Soccer?
Soccer (football) is the world's most popular sport, played by two teams of 11 kicking a ball into the opposing goal. Learn rules, history, and culture.
What Is Spearfishing?
Spearfishing is an ancient method of fishing using a spear or speargun while diving underwater. Learn about techniques, equipment, safety, and regulations.
What Is Sports Analytics?
Sports analytics uses data and statistics to evaluate players, optimize strategy, and gain competitive advantages. Learn how numbers changed sports.
What Is Sports Broadcasting?
Sports broadcasting delivers live athletic events to audiences through TV, radio, and streaming. Learn about production, commentary, and the business.
What Is Sports Coaching?
Sports coaching is the practice of guiding athletes to improve performance, develop skills, and achieve goals. Learn about methods, psychology, and careers.
What Is Sports Officiating?
Sports officiating is the enforcement of rules during athletic competitions by referees, umpires, and judges. Learn about training, challenges, and careers.
What Is Squash?
Squash is a fast-paced racquet sport played in a four-walled court. Learn about rules, equipment, fitness benefits, and the sport's Olympic debut.
What Is Sumo Wrestling?
Sumo wrestling is Japan's ancient national sport where two wrestlers try to force each other out of a ring. Learn the rules, rituals, and ranking system.
What Is Swimming?
Swimming is the sport and skill of moving through water using body movements. Learn the strokes, health benefits, competitive formats, and safety basics.
What Is Swordsmanship?
Swordsmanship is the art and skill of fighting with a sword. Learn about its history, major traditions, modern practice, and why people still train today.
What Is Synchronized Swimming?
Synchronized swimming (artistic swimming) combines swimming, dance, and gymnastics performed in water. Learn the rules, training, and Olympic history.
What Is Tactical Analysis?
Tactical analysis is the study of strategies and formations in sports to understand and improve performance. Learn how analysts work and why teams rely on them.
What Is Taekwondo?
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art known for powerful kicks and fast footwork. Learn its history, belt system, techniques, and Olympic competition format.
What Is Tennis?
Tennis is a racket sport played by hitting a ball over a net on a court. Learn the rules, scoring system, major tournaments, and why millions play worldwide.
What Is Track and Field?
Track and field is a collection of athletic events including running, jumping, and throwing. Learn the events, history, and why it anchors the Olympics.
What Is Trail Running?
Trail running is the sport of running on unpaved paths through natural terrain. Learn the gear, techniques, benefits, and how it differs from road running.
What Is Tree Climbing?
Tree climbing is the activity of ascending trees for recreation, sport, or professional work. Learn the techniques, gear, safety practices, and competitions.
What Is Triathlon?
Triathlon is an endurance race combining swimming, cycling, and running. Learn the distances, training, gear, and what it takes to finish your first race.
What Is Volleyball?
Volleyball is a team sport where two sides hit a ball over a net. Learn about rules, positions, techniques, variations like beach volleyball, and its history.
What Is Water Polo?
Water polo is an aquatic team sport where players swim, pass, and shoot a ball into goals. Learn about rules, positions, skills, and Olympic history.
What Is Water Skiing?
Water skiing is a surface water sport where a person is pulled by a boat while standing on skis. Learn about techniques, equipment, types, and safety.
What Is Windsurfing?
Windsurfing combines sailing and surfing on a board with an attached sail. Learn about equipment, techniques, conditions, and how to get started.
What Is Wrestling?
Wrestling is a combat sport where two opponents grapple for control using throws, pins, and holds. Learn about styles, rules, Olympic history, and how to start.
What Is Yachting?
Yachting covers sailing and motorboating for sport, leisure, or racing. Learn about yacht types, racing events, costs, and how to get started.