There are 35 sports that start with the letter P. From Paddleball to Pykrete Boat Race. Sports, as a structured form of physical activity, play a vital role in cultures worldwide, serving as a means of entertainment, competition, and community engagement. Activities can range from team sports, like soccer and basketball, to individual pursuits like athletics and swimming. The evolution of sports has been influenced by various cultural, social, and technological factors, leading to the establishment of governing bodies, international competitions like the Olympics, and extensive professional leagues. Sports contribute significantly to physical health, social bonding, and can even have a positive economic impact on communities through events and tourism.

One interesting fun fact about sports is that cricket, often regarded as a national pastime in countries like India and England, is played by more than 120 countries and has a dedicated following of over 2.5 billion fans worldwide, making it one of the most popular sports globally.

Here’s what each of the columns in the table means:

Origin Country: This column indicates the country where the sport was first developed or is considered to have originated.

Player Count: This represents the typical number of players involved in a game or match, reflecting the format of the sport—whether it is individual or team-based.

Equipment Needed: This column lists the primary gear or tools necessary to participate in the sport, which could vary widely depending on the nature of the activity.

Description: This provides a brief overview of the sport, outlining its rules, objectives, and how it is generally played or competed.

Sports That Start With P

Sports origin country player count equipment needed
Paddleball United States 2 Paddle, ball
Paddleboarding United States 1 Paddle board
Paintball United States 2-10 Paintball markers, protective gear
Paintless Dent Repair United States 1 Tools
Palant Romania 2 Ball, racquet
Palla Eh Italy 2 or more Ball
Palla Pugno Italy 2 teams of 3-6 Ball
Pallets United States Varies Wooden pallets
Pankration Ancient Greece 2 None
Paper Football United States 2 Folded paper
Parachuting France 1-10 Parachute, harness, altimeter
Paragliding France 1 Paraglider, harness, helmet
Parasailing United States 1-3 Parasail, boat, harness
Parkour France 1 None
Pasola Pehlwani Pendulum Swinging Pericak
Pato Argentina 4 Mallet, ball
Peladeiro Brazil 2-20 Ball
Pell-Mell England 2-4 Mallet, wooden balls
Pelota Valenciana Spain 2 or more Court, pelota
Petanque France 2-3 Boules
Pickleball United States 2-4 Paddle, plastic ball
Pinball United States 1 Pinball machine
Pive Indonesia 2-4 Spike, net
Pogo Stick Jumping United States 1 Pogo stick
Polo Persia 4 Mallet, ball, horses
Polo Crosse Australia 4 Lacrosse stick, ball, horses
Polocrosse Australia 6 Polocrosse racket, ball, horses
Pond Skimming United States 1 Skis, snowboard
Power Kiting Netherlands 1-3 Kite, harness, control bar
Powerlifting United States 1 Barbell, weights
Professional Wrestling United States 2-20 None
Pumptrack United States 1-10 Bicycle, BMX bike
Punchball United States 2-10 Rubber ball
Pygmy Wrestling Central Africa 2 None
Pykrete Boat Race Canada 2-4 Pykrete boat

Descriptions

Paddleball
Paddleball is a racket sport where players hit a ball back and forth across a low net. It combines elements of tennis, squash, and table tennis, and is played on a small, enclosed court.
Paddleboarding
Paddleboarding is a water sport where a participant stands on a long, narrow board and propels themselves with a single-bladed paddle. It provides a full-body workout and can be enjoyed on lakes, rivers, and oceans.
Paintball
A fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled team sport where players use compressed air-powered markers to eliminate opponents by marking them with paint-filled projectiles.
Paintless Dent Repair
Paintless Dent Repair is a technique used to remove minor dents and dings from the exterior of a vehicle without the need for traditional body work and repainting.
Palant
A racket sport similar to squash, played with a ball and racket on an enclosed court.
Palla Eh
A traditional Italian sport played with a heavy leather ball, involving throwing and catching the ball with the hands.
Palla Pugno
An Italian sport played with the bare fist, similar to handball, involving throwing and catching a ball on a long, narrow court.
Pallets
A sport where participants compete in various challenges and stunts using wooden pallets as equipment.
Pankration
Pankration was an ancient Greek martial art that combined boxing and wrestling. It was an event in the ancient Olympic Games, where competitors used strikes and grappling techniques to subdue their opponent.
Paper Football
A game where players take turns flicking a folded paper ‘football’ between their opponents’ fingers to score points.
Parachuting
An extreme sport where participants jump from an aircraft and freefall before deploying a parachute to descend safely to the ground, often performing aerial maneuvers.
Paragliding
Paragliding is an air sport where a pilot flies a lightweight, free-flying glider aircraft with no rigid internal structure. Pilots launch from hills or mountains and use the wind to soar, providing a unique bird’s-eye view of the landscape.
Parasailing
Parasailing is a recreational activity where a person is towed behind a boat or vehicle while attached to a parachute-like canopy, known as a parasail. This allows the participant to float in the air, providing a thrilling aerial experience.
Parkour
An acrobatic discipline focused on navigating urban environments by running, jumping, vaulting, and climbing over obstacles in the most efficient way possible.
Pasola
Peteca
Pato
A team sport played on horseback, similar to polo but with a larger ball and no mallets, players must use their hands to pass and score goals.
Peladeiro
Peladeiro is a Brazilian sport similar to football (soccer), where a small, lightweight ball is played with the head, chest, and shoulders, but not the hands. It is often played in small, informal settings.
Pell-Mell
An ancient lawn game where players use mallets to drive wooden balls through a series of upright posts or wickets, the objective is to complete the course in the fewest strokes.
Pelota Valenciana
Pelota Valenciana is a modern variant of the historical Valencian ball game, which is played on a fronton court. Players use a wooden racket called a pala to hit a hard, bouncing rubber ball.
Petanque
A target sport where players take turns throwing or rolling metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball, often played in public parks or village squares.
Pickleball
A paddle sport that combines elements of badminton, tennis, and table tennis, played on a badminton-sized court with a perforated plastic ball and solid paddles.
Pinball
An arcade game where a player controls spring-loaded plungers to launch a metal ball onto a playing field with various targets, bumpers, and obstacles to score points.
Pive
A traditional Indonesian sport similar to volleyball, played with a lightweight, woven grass ball that is spiked over a net using only the hands and arms.
Pogo Stick Jumping
A sport where participants use a spring-loaded stick with foot platforms to bounce up and down, often attempting to achieve greater height or perform tricks.
Polo
A team sport played on horseback, where players use mallets to hit a small ball through the opposing team’s goal posts, requiring exceptional horsemanship and strategic teamwork.
Polo Crosse
A hybrid sport that combines elements of polo and lacrosse, played on horseback with a modified lacrosse stick and a soft rubber ball.
Polocrosse
A team sport that blends polo and lacrosse, played on horseback with a racket used to carry and pass a small rubber ball, with the aim of scoring goals.
Pond Skimming
A winter sport where participants attempt to skim across a body of water, often a pond, using skis or a snowboard, often performed as part of a ski resort’s end-of-season celebration.
Power Kiting
An extreme sport that involves using a large, powerful kite to generate enough traction to allow participants to be pulled across land or water at high speeds.
Powerlifting
A strength sport that focuses on three main lifts: the squat, bench press, and deadlift, where participants attempt to lift the heaviest possible weight in each event.
Professional Wrestling
A form of performance art that combines theatrical elements with traditional wrestling techniques, where athletes engage in scripted matches to entertain audiences.
Pumptrack
A closed circuit of banked turns and rollers designed for riding bicycles, BMX bikes, and other wheeled vehicles, allowing riders to maintain momentum without pedaling.
Punchball
A playground game where players hit a bouncing rubber ball with their fists, keeping it airborne while trying to force the opposing team to miss or let it touch the ground.
Pygmy Wrestling
A traditional form of wrestling practiced by various ethnic groups in Central Africa, characterized by intricate holds, throws, and techniques unique to the region.
Pykrete Boat Race
An annual event where teams construct boats using a mixture of water and wood pulp, testing their crafts’ seaworthiness in a competitive race across a body of water.

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