List of Fictional Sports A-Z
Fictional sports are sports created by authors and filmmakers to enrich their fictional worlds. Showing characters playing or watching sports can serve to develop the characters and overall universe or to advance the plot. Since these sports exist within the imaginary universe of a fictional work, the rules, personnel, and equipment are often outlandish or impossible as they are not required to conform to the possibilities of the real world.
Although most fictional sports remain purely fictional, in some instances fans of the work attempt to recreate the sport in real life. Recreating a fictional sport may require some modification of the rules and equipment as described in the fictional work. The most famous example of a fictional sport being played in real life is Quiddich, based on J.K. Rowling’s series of Harry Potter books and films. Other popular and well-known fictional sports include BASEketball and Hunger Games, both from eponymous films or books, as well as Blernsball from the show Futurama and 43-Man Squamish from Mad Magazine.
Fictional Sports List A to Z
- 43-Man Squamish
- BASEketball
- Blernsball
- Hunger Games
- Quidditch
FAQ
What are fictional sports?
Fictional sports are sports that originate within a work of fiction. An author or filmmaker may create a fictional sport to enrich the fictional world of their work. In these cases, the fictional sport exists only in the fictional universe, as well as in the minds and imaginations of the viewers or readers. However, fictional sports can also be played by human athletes in the real world. These fictional sports originate in a work of fiction, but then fans of the fictional work begin playing or imitating the sport in real life.
Are there professional leagues for fictional sports?
Professional sports leagues and professional athletes exist in many works of fiction. Fictional sports, leagues, teams, and athletes may be based either closely or loosely on the real world. Thus, as in BASEketball or Blernsball, a professional league exists for the sport, but only in the fictional universe. For the most part, there are no real-world professional leagues for fictional sports. One exception is MLQ (Major League Quidditch) in the United States and Premier League Quidditch. These are both semi-professional quidditch leagues aiming to give their athletes the experience of professional competition.
Are fictional sports based on real sports?
Most fictional sports are based on sports in the real world. A fictional sport may retain most of the rules, equipment, and personnel of a real-world sport, with only minor changes made to reflect the nuances of the fictional characters and universe. An example of this is Blernsball, from the television show Futurama. Blernsball retains baseball’s traditional playing field, personnel, and basic gameplay, but the rules are altered to encourage more exciting action.
What is the most popular fictional sport?
Quidditch is, by a wide margin, the most popular fictional sport in the world. It is based on the Harry Potter books and films created by J.K. Rowling. Quidditch is the only fictional sport that has made the transition from existing only in a fictional universe to being widely played by real athletes worldwide. Fictional quidditch players fly on magical broomsticks, scoring points by passing different balls through multiple hoops. Real-world quidditch is played in a similar manner, but with players running on the ground while holding a broom since flying on them would be impossible in real life.