List of Slow-Paced Sports A-Z

There are a wide array of slow-paced sports played around the world. Some, like baseball and American football, are physically exerting and require a level of athleticism in order to play. Others, such as billiards and chess, are mentally challenging games that don’t demand physical abilities like speed or agility. It is important to note that the definition of slow-paced can vary; a sports’ speed can be dependent on people, the ball/object used to play, or the way its rules are set up. A shared characteristic of these sports is that they all involve extensive time played, with plenty of time between actions. Many of these sports require numerous pieces of equipment to play, although simpler ones, such as darts and checkers, are relatively easy to take part in and don’t take much time to set up.
Slow-Paced Sports List A to Z
- American Football
- Arimaa
- Artistic Billiards
- Association Croquet
- Bar Billiards
- Baseball
- Bavarian Curling
- Benchrest Shooting
- Billiards
- Blackball
- Bocce
- Bowling
- Bowls
- British Baseball
- Bumper Pool
- Candlepin Bowling
- Carom Billiards
- Checkers
- Chess
- Chess 960
- Clout Archery
- Cricket
- Croquet
- Crossbow Archery
- Curling
- Cushion Caroms
- Dartchery
- Darts
- Deer Hunting
- Duckpin Bowling
- Eight-Ball
- Eisstockschiessen
- Elle
- English Billiards
- Field Archery
- Flight Archery
- Fullbore Target Rifle
- Gateball
- Golf
- Golf Croquet
- Gorodki
- Gungdo
- High Power Rifle
- Hunting
- Indoor Archery
- Indoor Cricket
- Janggi
- Jeu Provençal
- Jogging
- Kelly Pool
- Krolf
- Lawn Bowls
- Ninepins
- Olympic Shooting
- Pétanque
- Pocket Billiards
- Roving
- Shogi
- Skittles
- Snooker
- Snow Golf
- Softball
- Target Archery
- Target Golf
- Tenpin Bowling
- Test Cricket
- Three-Cushion Billiards
- Underwater Target Shooting
- Walking Basketball
- Walking Cricket
- Walking Football
- Walking Hockey
- Walking Netball
- Wheelchair Curling
- Wolf Hunting
- Woodball
FAQ
What are slow-paced sports?
Slow-paced sports are those that are not played rapidly or demand continuous motion. A play or turn can be timed or untimed, and breaks may be taken in between actions. This results in longer amounts of playing time for these sports, or a slower pace of play. There are many different slow-paced sports, but some of the more common ones globally include cricket, chess, golf, baseball, American football, and bowling.
What are the best slow-paced sports for kids?
Baseball is a good slow-paced sport for children, mainly because there are various options when playing. A child can experiment with hitting, pitching, and fielding at various points during the game while learning to play alongside teammates. Letting kids explore various activities and motions at a young age is also beneficial for their long-term growth and development. A sometimes overlooked slow-paced sport that makes sense for children is bowling. Not only does bowling build upon physical skills such as coordination and balance, but it also provides an excellent activity for kids who may not be the fastest or strongest. Bowling also has an even amount of turns, giving everyone an equal opportunity to play.
What are the most popular slow-paced sports?
The most popular slow-paced sports include American football, baseball, cricket, golf, chess, checkers, billiards, and bowling. The reasons for each sport’s popularity differ. For games such as chess and checkers, the ease of access and consistent challenge of outsmarting the opposition attracts players of all ages. Sports like baseball and American football are most popular in the United States, while golf and cricket, to name a few, are more popular internationally.
What slow-paced sports are in the Olympics?
Slow-paced sports that were played in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games included baseball, golf, target archery, Olympic shooting, and softball. After a decades-long absence following its debut in the 1924 Winter Olympics, curling returned to the competition in 1998 and has been a part of the Winter Games ever since. Although baseball and softball were played in Tokyo, the International Olympic Committee has ruled both out of the 2024 Olympics in Paris. The IOC cited a lack of global participation outside of North America as its reasoning, even though nations like Japan, Cuba, South Korea, and Australia have all medaled since the two sports were added to the Olympic program in the 1990s. While cricket and croquet were both considered Olympic sports at one point in time, neither has been played in the games since 1900.