When is it a sport and when is it not?

[AyJay]

Since we are not averse to discussing controversial, and sometimes inconsequential, matters here, I thought that I'd throw this little pebble into the pond of debate and see where the ripples go.

 

There are 'activities' that we see or hear of which are generally regarded as 'Sports'. But I don't think that they are.

To be a sport, I think that an activity needs to meet these three criteria:

1. It must be competitive in that there is the potential for victory or loss. The competing to be carried out by persons acting individually or in teams. It may also be carried out by individuals to compare their performance against a personal best.

2. It must contain a physical element requiring strenuous/developed muscular effort i.e. raises the heart rate, increases breathing or generates a sweat. This does not have to be a whole-body effort, but may be confined to part of the body.

3. It requires an element of developed/developing skill.

 

Based on these criteria, things like football, athletics, gymnastics, horse racing are sports.

Controversially, I would say that snooker, darts and fishing are not sports.

[PhilH]

To expand on that I would say that certainly at elite level to call  it sport is somewhat of a misnomer. In my opinion it's business pure and simple.

[KeithMacdonald]

Curling?

 

[Nearholmer]

Sport as a word comes from ‘disport’, which meant a pastime or entertainment in a broad sense, and that in turn came from ‘desporter’, meaning to take pleasure. Not necessarily  competitive, and not necessarily entailing getting puffed-out.

 

So, I’d say that ‘sport’ covers a whole lot of things, but not coarse fishing, because that’s as dull as staring at ditchwater, and therefore a penance, rather than a pleasure.

[Jeff Smith]

16 minutes ago, AyJay said:

Based on these criteria, things like football, athletics, gymnastics, horse racing are sports.

Controversially, I would say that snooker, darts and fishing are not sports.

Agreed, although some 'sports' have been included in The Olympics such as shooting, archery, etc., I think these are better described as competitive activities.

[Nearholmer]

4 minutes ago, KeithMacdonald said:

Curling?

As in hairdressing?

[KeithMacdonald]

3 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

As in hairdressing?

 

That's a good idea, fastest blue-rinse, etc? 😀

 

But I was thinking of this kind.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/l0056417/scottish-curling-championships-womens-final

 

[Buhar]

One definition promoted on Off The Ball was the need to change footwear to participate. Works for most, though not archery and target shooting.

Alan 

[Mike Buckner]

Did I dream it, or was there a TV programme in which teams competed to build the best (or was it quickest) working layout?

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Jeff Smith said:

Agreed, although some 'sports' have been included in The Olympics such as shooting, archery, etc., I think these are better described as competitive activities.

They've had Town Planning at the Olympics...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_competitions_at_the_1948_Summer_Olympics

[tigerburnie]

I don't class fishing as a sport, but there are plenty of parts of it that fit your criteria, the World Marlin Championship fits all of those, but then there are some who think Sheep Dog Trials are a sport as well and shooting clay pigeons(which is an Olympic "sport")

[Sidecar Racer]

 

 Competitive events , that covers all bases .

[jcm@gwr]

And then there's golf!

Which can be put in the same category as fishing, which is no more a sport than playing poker!

[Nearholmer]

We just have to live with the fact that the meaning of the word has changed, narrowed greatly, over time, and that things which acquired the label “sport” some time ago, while the meaning was much broader, and have kept that label, now seem incorrectly labelled.

[Ozexpatriate]

eSports. (electronic gaming)

 

Not raising sweat necessarily - but does increase heart rate, and requires dexterity and competitiveness.

[Mike Buckner]

 

Dwarf  throwing?

[franciswilliamwebb]

14 hours ago, Buhar said:

One definition promoted on Off The Ball was the need to change footwear to participate.

 

Excellent!  Going out on the p*ss is finally recognised! 😉

[westernfan]

A cat fiddling, a cow jumping over the moon. Are these sports? The little dog laughing thought so. 😁

 

(Sorry. I'll get my coat!)

[black and decker boy]

16 hours ago, AyJay said:

Since we are not averse to discussing controversial, and sometimes inconsequential, matters here, I thought that I'd throw this little pebble into the pond of debate and see where the ripples go.

 

There are 'activities' that we see or hear of which are generally regarded as 'Sports'. But I don't think that they are.

To be a sport, I think that an activity needs to meet these three criteria:

1. It must be competitive in that there is the potential for victory or loss. The competing to be carried out by persons acting individually or in teams. It may also be carried out by individuals to compare their performance against a personal best.

2. It must contain a physical element requiring strenuous/developed muscular effort i.e. raises the heart rate, increases breathing or generates a sweat. This does not have to be a whole-body effort, but may be confined to part of the body.

3. It requires an element of developed/developing skill.

 

Based on these criteria, things like football, athletics, gymnastics, horse racing are sports.

Controversially, I would say that snooker, darts and fishing are not sports.

I’d say snooker, darts and golf all meet your 3 requirements playing for several hours on several consecutive days in a tournament requires a level of physical and mental fitness and stamina. 
 

golf also requires a change of shoes 

[Ponthir28]

I think chess is classed as a sport. But backgammon is not as there is an element of luck as you have to a roll dice.

[Reorte]

14 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

eSports. (electronic gaming)

 

Not raising sweat necessarily - but does increase heart rate, and requires dexterity and competitiveness.

I've tried sim racing, with a wheel. I get a bit sweaty doing that.

 

Personally I'd say in general a sport is a test of your physical ability as well as technical skills, although there's a lot of grey areas and I won't argue about quite a lot that don't really fit that definition but are usually labelled as sports.

Edited February 25 by Reorte

[Mr chapman]

That "sport" where people stand there and slap each other in the face meets all criteria. But that's as dumb as it sounds. 

[Jeff Smith]

The word Sport is equally mis-applied to some cars and pick-ups (trucks over here).  Apply a stripe and/or wing and call it the Sport model - no change to the engine........

[AyJay]

I've no doubt that fighting with something big and fishy on a fishing line from the back of a rolling boat in an open sea, requires considerable physical prowess; so I would class that as a sport.  But sitting by a lake, occasionally casting; I see that as more a form of meditation.

 

Motor racing?  Looking at the video clips that we sometimes see from over the F1 drivers shoulder, looks like it requires considerable physical exertion to keep that car under control. So yes, I'd say motor racing is a sport.

As for e-sports,  teams of youngsters playing computer games. Sorry no, they may have good hand-eye coordination and nimble fingers, but so does a piano player.

[Metr0Land]

FWIW in the 1980's I lived next door to a guy who was accountant for the Sports Council.  At the time (and maybe to this day?) they side-stepped the issue of 'what is a sport' and simply based their criteria on 'is this an organisation we wish to lend/give money to'