List of Street Sports A-Z
Street sports are some of the most creative and innovative in the sports world. They combine fun with resourcefulness to work athletic pastimes into the confines of a cityscape, often incorporating city features into the games. Some sports like skateboarding or breakdancing can be innovative and highly competitive, while others like stickball are mostly pastimes for fun exercise and bonding with friends. Street sports are played by and for locals, with every community having its own traditions and flair that reflect its own unique culture.
The culture of street sports began when the Industrial Revolution drove working-class people into the city for factory work and grew into an even more thriving tradition with the urbanization of the twentieth century. For as long as people have lived in the city, they’ve played games in the streets to have fun, socialize, and decompress. Today, street sports are receiving growing professional recognition.
Street Sports List A to Z
- Ba Game
- Breakdancing
- Ekiden
- Freeboard
- Fuzzball
- Irish Road Bowling
- Jianzi
- Motorcycle Road Racing
- Parkour
- Road Bicycle Racing
- Road Bowling
- Road Racing
- Road Running
- Road Skating
- Roller Skiing
- Skateboarding
- Soap Shoes
- Stickball
- Street Football
- Street Hockey
- Street Racing
- Street Unicycling
- Streetball
- Streetboarding
- Street Luge
- Urban Golf
- Wireball
FAQ
What are street sports?
Street sports are any athletic games or pastimes adapted to fit an urban environment. They’re cultivated out of creativity and resourcefulness, often incorporating cityscape features such as railings or maintenance hole covers. Some sports like street hockey or stickball are derived directly from commonplace sports like hockey and baseball, while others like breakdancing or parkour are unique to the streets altogether. The rules and traditions of street games can vary from city to city, as locals often play with their own flair and preferences.
Which street sports are illegal?
Due to the fact that street sports by nature are played where people live, conduct business, and commute, it is always important to familiarize oneself with local laws and be mindful of the locals’ wellbeing. Dangerous sports like street racing are universally illegal and result in fines or arrest, but more harmless activities like wireball or street hockey are allowed without a fine unless they cause an annoyance to the general public. Other sports like skateboarding are regulated to varying degrees. Some cities like New York allow skateboarders to ride at a slower speed on the sidewalk, while others like San Francisco ban skateboards from streets and sidewalks entirely.
Which street sports are in the Olympics?
The 2020s in particular have started off extremely promising for Olympic-hopeful athletes who practice and perfect street sports. The past couple of years have seen the International Olympic Committee break from the traditional mold and incorporate more urban-based and inspired athletics, with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics hosting a skateboarding competition for the first time. The 2024 Olympics are also set to include breakdancing competitions for the first time in history.
What are the most popular street sports?
Street sports as a whole are very popular for their accessibility in urban environments that might not have open fields or courts for playing. Some of the most commonly played street sports, including street football, street hockey, and stickball, are derived from the most popular, well-known sports to suit a city environment. Skateboarding is also well recognized and popular by amateurs and skilled athletes alike, with many drawn to the impressive stunts that can be performed.