Ball Sports (various forms of football, basketball, etc.)

• Association Football (Soccer)
• American Football
• Australian Rules Football
• Gaelic Football
• Rugby Union
• Rugby League
• Basketball
• Baseball
• Softball
• Cricket
• Volleyball
• Beach Volleyball
• Handball
• Futsal
• Beach Handball
• Water Polo
• Lacrosse
• Field Hockey
• Ice Hockey
• Bandminton
• Table Tennis (Ping Pong)
• Tennis
• Squash
• Badminton
• Racquetball
• Padel
• Korfball
• Netball
• Ultimate Frisbee (Flying Disc Sports)
• Bocce
• Bowling (Ten-pin, Nine-pin, Lawn Bowls)
• Croquet
• Golf
• Disc Golf
• Billiards (Pool, Snooker, Carom Billiards)
• Broomball
• Rinkball
• Hurling
• Shinty
• Polo
• Water Polo
• Dodgeball
• Kickball
• Tee-ball
• Wiffleball

Athletics (Track and Field, Running, Jumping, Throwing)

• Sprinting (100m, 200m, 400m)
• Middle-distance running (800m, 1500m)
• Long-distance running (5000m, 10000m, Marathon, Half Marathon, Ultramarathon)
• Relay races
• Hurdles (100m/110m Hurdles, 400m Hurdles, Steeplechase)
• Race Walking
• Long Jump
• Triple Jump
• High Jump
• Pole Vault
• Shot Put
• Discus Throw
• Hammer Throw
• Javelin Throw
• Decathlon (Men)
• Heptathlon (Women)
• Pentathlon
• Cross Country Running
• Trail Running
• Mountain Running
• Skyrunning

Combat Sports & Martial Arts

• Boxing
• Wrestling (Freestyle, Greco-Roman, Folkstyle, various regional forms)
• Judo
• Karate
• Taekwondo
• Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
• Kickboxing
• Muay Thai
• Fencing (Foil, Épée, Sabre)
• Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
• Sambo
• Sumo Wrestling
• Wushu
• Aikido
• Kendo
• Krav Maga
• Kung Fu
• Tai Chi Chuan

Gymnastics & Acrobatic Arts

• Artistic Gymnastics
• Rhythmic Gymnastics
• Trampoline Gymnastics
• Acrobatic Gymnastics
• Aerobic Gymnastics
• Parkour/Freerunning
• Calisthenics
• Pole Sports

Cycling Sports

• Road Cycling
• Track Cycling
• Mountain Biking (Cross-country, Downhill, Enduro)
• BMX Racing
• BMX Freestyle
• Cyclo-cross
• Cycle Speedway
• Artistic Cycling
• Cycle Polo

Water Sports

• Swimming (Freestyle, Breaststroke, Backstroke, Butterfly, Individual Medley, Relays)
• Diving (Springboard, Platform, Synchronized)
• Artistic Swimming (Synchronized Swimming)
• Water Polo
• Surfing
• Bodyboarding
• Wakeboarding
• Waterskiing
• Kneeboarding
• Sailing
• Rowing
• Canoeing (Sprint, Slalom)
• Kayaking (Sprint, Slalom, Whitewater)
• Rafting
• Stand-up Paddleboarding (SUP)
• Windsurfing
• Kitesurfing
• Jet Skiing
• Scuba Diving
• Underwater Hockey (Octopush)
• Underwater Rugby

Winter Sports

• Alpine Skiing (Downhill, Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G, Combined)
• Cross-Country Skiing
• Ski Jumping
• Nordic Combined
• Freestyle Skiing (Moguls, Aerials, Slopestyle, Halfpipe, Big Air)
• Snowboarding (Slopestyle, Halfpipe, Big Air, Snowboard Cross, Parallel Giant Slalom)
• Biathlon (Cross-country skiing and shooting)
• Bobsleigh
• Skeleton
• Luge
• Ice Hockey
• Figure Skating (Singles, Pairs, Ice Dance, Synchronized Skating)
• Speed Skating (Long track, Short track)
• Curling
• Ice Stock Sport
• Ski Mountaineering
• Snowshoeing
• Skijoring

Motorsports & Racing

• Formula 1 (F1) Racing
• Rallying
• Motorcycle Racing (MotoGP, Superbike, Motocross)
• Go-Kart Racing
• Stock Car Racing (NASCAR)
• Drag Racing
• Off-road Racing
• Powerboating
• Air Racing
• Snowmobile Racing
• Truck Racing

Animal Sports

• Equestrian Sports (Dressage, Show Jumping, Eventing, Reining, Endurance Riding)
• Horse Racing (Thoroughbred Racing, Harness Racing, Steeplechase)
• Polo
• Rodeo (Barrel Racing, Bull Riding, Roping)
• Dog Sports (Agility, Sled Dog Racing, Flyball, Disc Dog)
• Pigeon Racing
• Falconry (often considered a sport)
• Fishing (Competitive)
• Hunting (Competitive)

Target Sports

• Archery (Target Archery, Field Archery, Clout Shooting)
• Shooting Sports (Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun – Trap, Skeet, Sporting Clays)
• Darts
• Bocce
• Bowling
• Golf (various forms)
• Curling

Strength Sports

• Weightlifting (Olympic Weightlifting – Snatch and Clean & Jerk)
• Powerlifting (Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift)
• Strongman
• Bodybuilding
• Functional Fitness (CrossFit)
• Arm Wrestling
• Tug of War

Mind Sports

• Chess
• Bridge (Contract Bridge)
• Go
• Poker (Competitive)
• Esports (Competitive Video Gaming)
• Rubik’s Cube Solving (Speedcubing)

Other / Hybrid Sports

• Triathlon (Swimming, Cycling, Running)
• Duathlon (Running, Cycling, Running)
• Aquathlon (Swimming, Running)
• Modern Pentathlon (Fencing, Swimming, Equestrian Show Jumping, Laser Run – combined shooting and running)
• Orienteering
• Sport Climbing
• Skateboarding
• Roller Skating
• Inline Skating
• Cheerleading
• Dancesport (Competitive Dancing)
• Obstacle Course Racing (OCR)
• Parkour/Freerunning
• Tug-of-War
• Bungee Jumping (often considered an extreme sport/recreational activity)
• Skydiving/Parachuting
• Hang Gliding
• Paragliding
• Gliding
• Caving (Competitive aspects)
• Disc Golf
• Ultimate Frisbee
• Axe Throwing
• Quidditch (Muggle Quidditch)
• Robot Combat

This list is extensive but still not exhaustive, as new sports emerge and variations exist within each category across different cultures and regions.