26 Different Team Sports Around the World

Team sports bring people together, creating bonds and fostering teamwork. But with so many options, it’s hard to know which ones are truly popular worldwide.

I’ve got good news! As a sports enthusiast who’s traveled extensively, I’ve compiled a list of the most beloved team sports worldwide. This guide will take you on a tour of sports that capture hearts and minds in different cultures.

In this article, you’ll discover:

The top team sports played
Key facts about each sport’s popularity
How these sports unite communities

Get ready to explore the exciting world of team sports and maybe find a new favorite to watch or play!

Popular Team Sports

1. Basketball

Origin: Invented by Dr. James Naismith in 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Objective: Score points by shooting the ball into the opposing team’s hoop.
Players: Each team has five players on the court at a time.
Scoring: Points are scored through field goals (2 points), three-pointers (3 points), and free throws (1 point).
Duration: Four quarters of 12 minutes each in the NBA; two halves of 20 minutes in college basketball.
Benefits: Improves cardiovascular health, strength, and coordination while fostering teamwork and strategic thinking.

2. Soccer (Football)

Origin: Developed in England in the mid-19th century.
Objective: Score by getting the ball into the opponent’s goal without using hands or arms (except the goalkeeper).
Players: Each team has eleven players on the field.
Scoring: A goal is worth 1 point, with the team scoring the most goals winning the match.
Duration: Two halves of 45 minutes each, with a 15-minute halftime break.
Benefits: Enhances cardiovascular fitness, agility, and endurance and promotes teamwork and discipline.

3. American Football

Origin: Evolved from rugby and soccer, becoming formalized in the United States in the late 19th century.
Objective: Advance the ball to the opposing team’s end zone to score points.
Players: Each team has eleven players on the field.
Scoring: Touchdowns (6 points), extra points, field goals (3 points), and safeties (2 points).
Duration: Four quarters of 15 minutes, with potential overtime in case of a tie.
Benefits: Builds strength, endurance, and tactical thinking, encouraging teamwork and camaraderie.

4. Baseball

Origin: Believed to have originated in the United States in the 18th century, gaining popularity by the mid-19th century.
Objective: Score runs by hitting the ball and running around four bases to reach home plate.
Players: Each team has nine players on the field.
Scoring: Runs are scored when a player successfully reaches home plate.
Duration: Nine innings, with extra innings in case of a tie.
Benefits: Enhances hand-eye coordination, strategic thinking, and physical agility and promotes teamwork.

5. Volleyball

Origin: Created by William G. Morgan in 1895 in Massachusetts, USA.
Objective: Score points by hitting the ball over the net and into the opposing team’s court.
Players: Each team has six players on the court.
Scoring: Points are scored when the opposing team fails to return the ball or hits it out of bounds.
Duration: Played in sets; typically best-of-five sets, with each set played to 25 points (win by 2 points).
Benefits: Boosts agility, coordination, and teamwork and provides a full-body workout.

Other Popular Team Sports

6. Rugby

Origin: Originated in England in the early 19th century, branching from soccer.
Objective: Score points by carrying, passing, or kicking the ball to the opponent’s goal area or kicking it through the goalposts.
Players: Two versions: Rugby Union (15 players) and Rugby League (13 players).
Scoring: Points are scored through tries (5 points), conversions (2 points), penalty kicks (3 points), and drop goals (3 points).
Duration: Two halves of 40 minutes each.
Benefits: Builds strength, endurance, and teamwork; fosters strategic thinking and resilience.

7. Ice Hockey

Origin: Developed in Canada in the late 19th century, with roots tracing back to field hockey and other stick-and-ball games.
Objective: Score goals by shooting a puck into the opposing team’s net.
Players: Each team has six players, including a goaltender.
Scoring: Each goal is worth 1 point.
Duration: Three periods of 20 minutes each, with sudden-death overtime in case of a tie.
Benefits: Enhances cardiovascular health, coordination, and balance while promoting teamwork and fast decision-making.

8. Cricket

Origin: Originated in England, with recorded games dating back to the 16th century.
Objective: Score runs by hitting the ball and running between the wickets; the defending team tries to prevent runs and dismiss the batsmen.
Players: Each team has eleven players.
Scoring: Runs are scored by running between wickets, with bonus runs for boundary hits (4 or 6 runs).
Duration: Varies by format – Test matches (up to 5 days), One Day Internationals (50 overs per side), and T20 matches (20 overs per side).
Benefits: Builds concentration, coordination, and teamwork and enhances physical endurance.

9. Field Hockey

Origin: Dates back to ancient Greece and Egypt, with the modern version formalized in 19th century England.
Objective: Score by hitting a ball into the opponent’s goal using a curved stick.
Players: Each team has eleven players on the field.
Scoring: A goal is worth 1 point.
Duration: Four quarters of 15 minutes each.
Benefits: Boosts cardiovascular health, coordination, and teamwork while enhancing agility and endurance.

Emerging and Unique Team Sports

10. Handball

Origin: Originated in Germany in the late 19th century.
Objective: Score by throwing the ball into the opponent’s goal.
Players: Each team has seven players, including a goalkeeper.
Scoring: Each goal is worth 1 point.
Duration: Two halves of 30 minutes each.
Benefits: Improves agility, hand-eye coordination, and cardiovascular health while promoting teamwork and strategy.

11. Water Polo

Origin: Developed in England and Scotland in the late 19th century.
Objective: Score points by throwing the ball into the opponent’s goal.
Players: Each team has seven players, including a goalkeeper.
Scoring: Each goal is worth 1 point.
Duration: Four quarters of 8 minutes each.
Benefits: Enhances cardiovascular fitness, builds upper body strength, and fosters teamwork and endurance.

12. Ultimate Frisbee

Origin: Originated in the United States in the 1960s, combining elements of soccer, basketball, and football.
Objective: Score by catching the Frisbee in the opponent’s end zone.
Players: Typically played with seven players per team.
Scoring: Each catch in the end zone is worth 1 point.
Duration: Typically played to a certain score, often 15 points, or with a time limit.
Benefits: Improves cardiovascular health, agility, and coordination and encourages teamwork and sportsmanship.

13. Lacrosse

Origin: Developed by Native American tribes, later adapted by European settlers.
Objective: Score by shooting a small rubber ball into the opponent’s goal using a lacrosse stick.
Players: Each team has ten players (men’s) or twelve players (women’s).
Scoring: Each goal is worth 1 point.
Duration: Four quarters of 15 minutes each.
Benefits: Builds agility, hand-eye coordination, and cardiovascular endurance while fostering teamwork and strategy.

14. Sepak Takraw

Origin: It originated in Southeast Asia, with roots dating back to the 15th century; it is popular in countries like Thailand and Malaysia.
Objective: Kick the ball over the net and into the opponent’s court using only the feet, knees, chest, and head.
Players: Each team has three players on the court.
Scoring: Points are scored when the opposing team fails to return the ball over the net.
Duration: Played in sets, typically best-of-three; each set played to 21 points.
Benefits: Enhances agility, balance, and coordination and improves leg strength and teamwork.

Indoor Team Sports

15. Futsal

Origin: Developed in Uruguay in the 1930s as a smaller, indoor version of soccer.
Objective: Score by getting the ball into the opponent’s goal, similar to traditional soccer.
Players: Each team has five players on the court, including a goalkeeper.
Scoring: A goal is worth 1 point, with the team scoring the most goals winning the match.
Duration: Two halves of 20 minutes each, with a brief halftime break.
Benefits: Improves agility, speed, and coordination while emphasizing teamwork and quick decision-making.

16. Indoor Volleyball

Origin: Created by William G. Morgan in 1895 in Massachusetts, USA, as a less physically demanding alternative to basketball.
Objective: Score points by hitting the ball over the net into the opposing team’s court.
Players: Each team has six players on the court.
Scoring: Points are scored when the opposing team fails to return the ball or hits it out of bounds.
Duration: Played in sets, usually best-of-five; each set played to 25 points (win by 2 points).
Benefits: Boosts coordination, teamwork, and agility while providing a full-body workout.

17. Basketball (Indoor Courts)

Origin: Invented by Dr. James Naismith in 1891, it was originally played indoors as a way for students to stay active during winter.
Objective: Score points by shooting the ball into the opposing team’s hoop at each end of the court.
Players: Each team has five players on the court at a time.
Scoring: Points are awarded for field goals (2 points), three-pointers (3 points), and free throws (1 point).
Duration: Typically played in four quarters of 12 minutes each in professional leagues; some variations, such as high school or college, may have different quarter or half structures.
Benefits: Improves cardiovascular health, enhances coordination, and builds teamwork, while promoting agility, strategic thinking, and endurance.

18. Roller Derby

Origin: Evolved in the United States during the 1930s as a contact sport on roller skates.
Objective: Score points by having the designated “jammer” lap members of the opposing team on the track.
Players: Each team has five players on the track, including one jammer.
Scoring: Points are scored based on the number of opposing players the jammer successfully laps.
Duration: Two halves of 30 minutes each, with short “jams” lasting up to 2 minutes.
Benefits: Builds strength, endurance, and coordination while fostering team strategy and resilience.

Traditional and Cultural Team Sports

19. Kabaddi

Origin: Originated in ancient India, with records dating back over 4,000 years.
Objective: Score points by raiding the opponent’s side, touching as many defenders as possible, and returning to one’s side without being tackled.
Players: Each team has seven players on the court.
Scoring: Points are earned by successfully touching defenders and returning; defenders earn points by tackling raiders.
Duration: Two halves of 20 minutes each, with a 5-minute halftime break.
Benefits: Builds agility, strength, and quick reflexes while fostering teamwork and strategic thinking.

20. Gaelic Football

Origin: Developed in Ireland in the 19th century, combining elements of soccer and rugby.
Objective: Score points by kicking or punching the ball into the opponent’s goal or over the crossbar.
Players: Each team has fifteen players on the field.
Scoring: A goal (below the crossbar) is worth 3 points; a point (over the crossbar) is worth 1 point.
Duration: Two halves of 30 minutes each.
Benefits: Improves cardiovascular health, agility, and coordination and encourages teamwork and endurance.

21. Buzkashi

Origin: Originated in Central Asia, particularly Afghanistan, with several centuries of history.
Objective: Score by carrying a goat carcass into the goal area while riding a horse.
Players: Typically played with teams of five or more riders, though team sizes can vary.
Scoring: Points are awarded for each successful goal.
Duration: Matches vary greatly in length, often lasting several hours.
Benefits: Enhances horsemanship, endurance, and teamwork while promoting cultural heritage and physical resilience.

22. Aussie Rules Football

Origin: Developed in Australia in the mid-19th century, influenced by Gaelic football and rugby.
Objective: Score points by kicking the ball through the opponent’s goal or behind posts.
Players: Each team has eighteen players on the field.
Scoring: Goals (through the middle posts) are worth 6 points; behinds (through outer posts) are worth 1 point.
Duration: Four quarters of 20 minutes each.
Benefits: Builds strength, speed, and endurance, emphasizing teamwork and strategic play.

Less Common Team Sports

23. Quidditch (Muggle Quidditch)

Origin: Based on the fictional game from the Harry Potter series, adapted as a real-life sport in the 2000s.
Objective: Score points by throwing the quaffle through the opposing team’s hoops while avoiding bludgers.
Players: Each team has seven players, including one seeker, three chasers, two beaters, and one keeper.
Scoring: Each goal with the quaffle is worth 10 points; capturing the snitch earns 30 points and ends the game.
Duration: Typically played for 20 to 30 minutes, the game ends when the snitch is caught.
Benefits: Boosts cardiovascular health, hand-eye coordination, and teamwork while fostering creativity and inclusion.

24. Dodgeball

Origin: Originally developed as a recreational activity, with formalized rules established in the 20th century.
Objective: Eliminate opposing players by hitting them with a thrown ball while avoiding being hit.
Players: Typically, six players per team, though team size can vary.
Scoring: Points are scored by eliminating all players on the opposing team or having the most players remaining when time runs out.
Duration: Usually played in rounds, each lasting a few minutes.
Benefits: Improves agility, hand-eye coordination, and reflexes while encouraging teamwork and quick decision-making.

25. Kickball

Origin: Developed in the United States in the early 20th century, often played by children as a variation of baseball.
Objective: Score runs by kicking the ball and running around bases, similar to baseball.
Players: Each team has nine to eleven players.
Scoring: Runs are scored by successfully reaching home plate after kicking the ball.
Duration: Typically played over five innings, though duration can vary.
Benefits: It builds agility, coordination, and teamwork and provides an accessible, fun way to stay active.

26. Floorball

Origin: Originated in Sweden in the 1970s as a variation of floor hockey.
Objective: Using a stick, score points by hitting a lightweight plastic ball into the opponent’s goal.
Players: Each team has five field players and one goalkeeper.
Scoring: Each goal is worth 1 point.
Duration: Three periods of 20 minutes each.
Benefits: Enhances cardiovascular health, hand-eye coordination, and agility while promoting teamwork and strategic play.

Conclusion

I hope this tour of popular team sports has shown you an amazing diversity of games people love worldwide. From the fast-paced action of basketball to the strategic plays in cricket, each sport offers something unique.

Why does this matter? Team sports do more than entertain – they build communities, teach teamwork and bridge cultural gaps. They’re a universal language that brings people together.

Now it’s your turn to get involved! Why not try watching or playing one of these sports you haven’t experienced before? You might find a new passion or make new friends.

Share your favorite team sport in the comments below – I’d love to hear what games excite you and why.

Remember, in team sports, we’re all winners when we play together!

26 Different Team Sports Around the World