This list covers 15 sports, ranging alphabetically from “Jai Alai” to “Jarts.” They span backyard games, Olympic combat disciplines, motorsports, and team sports played on courts, fields, and water. Some are casual pastimes you might play in a park, while others are competitive events with international federations and world championships.
Sports are organized physical activities with rules, goals, and often a competitive element between individuals or teams. Many started as regional traditions before spreading worldwide; Jai Alai, for example, originated in the Basque Country and is still recognized as one of the fastest ball sports on record, with balls reaching speeds over 150 miles per hour.
Below you’ll find the table with Sport and Description.
Sport: the name of the sport, game, or physical activity, listed alphabetically so you can find one quickly.
Description: a short explanation of how the sport is played, its origin, and what makes it distinct, so you understand it at a glance.
Sports
Sport
Jai Alai
Javelin Throw
Jeu de Paume
Jianzi
Jiu-Jitsu
Jokgu
Jokari
Jousting
Judo
Jugger
Jukskei
Jorkyball
Jump Rope
Jetsprint Racing
Jarts
Descriptions
Jai Alai
A fast-paced Basque court sport where players use a curved wicker basket called a cesta to catch and hurl a hard ball against a wall, often called one of the fastest sports in the world.
Javelin Throw
A track and field event in which athletes sprint and then hurl a long spear-like implement as far as possible, testing speed, technique, and upper-body power.
Jeu de Paume
A French handball-like precursor to modern tennis, played by striking a ball with the palm (and later gloves or paddles) over a net or rope in an indoor court.
Jianzi
A Chinese sport and pastime in which players use their feet, knees, and chest to keep a heavily weighted shuttlecock airborne without using their hands.
Jiu-Jitsu
A grappling-based combat sport and martial art focused on ground fighting, joint locks, and chokeholds, with the Brazilian style especially popular in mixed martial arts competition.
Jokgu
A Korean team sport that blends soccer and volleyball, played over a net using only the feet, head, and chest to send the ball into the opponent’s court.
Jokari
A backyard racket game in which a ball attached by an elastic cord to a weighted base is struck back and forth, letting one or two players rally solo or against each other.
Jousting
A medieval combat sport in which two mounted knights charge at each other with lances, aiming to unhorse their opponent, still practiced today in reenactments and competitions.
Judo
An Olympic combat sport developed in Japan that emphasizes throws, pins, and submission holds, teaching practitioners to use an opponent’s force and balance against them.
Jugger
A modern hybrid sport combining elements of rugby, fencing, and dodgeball, in which teams use padded weapons to fight for the right to place a dog skull on a spike.
Jukskei
A South African throwing sport, similar to horseshoes, in which players toss wooden pegs at a stake driven into the ground, aiming for accuracy over distance.
Jorkyball
A fast indoor sport invented in France, played in an enclosed cage where two teams try to score by bouncing a ball off the surrounding walls, blending football and squash.
Jump Rope
Also called rope skipping, a competitive sport where athletes perform speed, endurance, and freestyle routines while jumping over a rotating rope, judged internationally by federations like the IJRU.
Jetsprint Racing
A motorsport in which jet-powered boats race side by side through a tight, artificial water course lined with obstacles, prized for its speed and close, high-stakes turns.
Jarts
Also known as lawn darts, a backyard lawn game where players toss large, weighted darts toward a target ring, testing accuracy over a short distance.
If you think there is a missing term, let us know using the contact form.
