Hybrid sport

An international rules football match between Australia and Ireland

A korfball match in the Netherlands between 'Trekvogels' and 'OZC'

A hybrid sport is one which combines two or more (often similar) sports in order to create a new sport, or to allow meaningful competition between players of those sports.

The most popular hybrid sport in terms of attendance and television viewers is international rules football.

Active sports

C

• Chess boxing – a hybrid sport which combines the sport of boxing with games of chess in alternating rounds. Chess boxing fights have been organized since early 2003. The sport was started when Dutch artist Iepe Rubingh, inspired by fictional descriptions of the sport in the writing of Enki Bilal, organized actual matches. The sport has become increasingly popular since then. To succeed players must be both skilled chess players and skilled boxers.
• Composite rules shinty-hurling – The Irish sports of hurling or camogie combined with the Scottish sport of shinty.

F

• Football tennis – a hybrid of Association Football and tennis
• Footvolley – a hybrid of Association Football and Volleyball

I

• International rules football – a combination of Gaelic football and Australian rules football. The International Rules Series, an annual series of two games between representative teams from Ireland and Australia, attracted sell-out crowds during its 2006 edition.

K

• Korfball – several claims that it was developed as a hybrid of netball and basketball to enable play between teams of mixed gender. Despite the origins of korfball, today it does facilitate exactly that purpose.
• Kronum – A hybrid of handball, soccer, basketball and rugby played on a circular field.

N

• Nashball – a field sport mixing elements of soccer, fistball, basketball and volleyball using horizontal end zone goals and restricting open-hand contact.

P

• Polocrosse - A hybrid of Polo and Lacrosse, played on horseback.

S

• Samoa Rules – A hybrid of rugby union and Australian rules football
• Snarfgargle - A hybrid of Hockey and Basketball using a basketball and basket while players skate on ice, thus creating an even playing field for all races.

T

• T-Cross – A hybrid of Tennis and Lacrosse. Created and played by Maastricht University Exchange Students since 2013.

Inactive sports

• Austus – a combination of American football and Australian rules football played during World War II. However this hybrid sport has not been recorded as having been played since the war.
• Universal football – a combination of rugby league and Australian rules football trialed briefly in the early 20th century.

References