Sport

Sport (also called games) is a physical activity undertaken according to agreed rules and structured format. It is typically assessed on skill, strength, speed, endurance or technique. The outcome is determined by points, time, measurement or judges.

Sport ranges from informal recreational play in neighbourhoods to elite professional competition organized by international bodies. There are individual sports, such as running and wrestling, and team sports, such as football and volleyball.

Categories

Sports are classified in various ways. One classification is by location: field sports, water sports, winter sports and mountain sports. Another is by competition format: direct head-to-head contests (such as boxing and fencing), time-based competitions (running, basketball) and point-based competitions (football, table tennis). There are also sports judged by official scorers, such as gymnastics and weightlifting.

Rules and governance

Each sport has regulations specifying the size of the playing area, number of competitors, duration and prohibited conduct. Rules are set and updated by international bodies specific to each sport. At national level there are federations and leagues governing domestic competition. Officials apply the rules during play and penalize infractions.

Major competitions

The Olympic Games represent the largest gathering of diverse sports, held every four years, alternating between summer and winter. Football has the World Cup. Other sports including volleyball, athletics and wrestling have world championships and continental competitions.

Health, economics and concerns

Regular physical activity and sport are associated with improved cardiovascular and mental health. Conversely, overtraining can cause injury. At the professional level, sport has become an economic activity dependent on sponsorship, broadcasting rights and merchandise sales. Recurring concerns include use of performance-enhancing drugs (doping), corruption and match-fixing.