Top 10 Most Popular Hybrid Sports
Andrew Thornton Quick Links
It is a very interesting concept. A hybrid sport is a game that takes elements from two or more sports and uses them to create an entirely new game. They give a fresh take on games people already know and love.
Just like all popular sports, hybrid sports all start out as little, fun ideas people have. They bring up the idea to some friends and soon enough a whole bunch of people are fascinated with the new game. They not only make a new game to appeal to a new audience, but they also allow for new competitions that bring together people from different walks of life. They may not even be an entirely new sport, they may just be a revised way of playing a game so it can be enjoyed in a different way. This compromise allows the competitive spirit of the game to continue to grow and thrive.
Of course, hybrid sports are not nearly as popular as games such as baseball or soccer. However, there are definitely groups of dedicated fans out there that have allowed for these games to reach many new audiences. This list shows a few of the more popular hybrid sports. Obviously, there are many of these sports out there that nobody even knows about because they never made it farther than the backyard they were invented in. These have all grown to a point where they have competitions across the world, no matter how strange they may seem.
10. Ultimate Tazer Ball
It probably is not surprising a sport called Ultimate Tazer Ball is the first on the list. Obviously, it is going to be the least popular. However, it might very well be the most interesting to watch. It combines rugby with... well tazering. The game was invented in California by friends Leif Kellenberger, Eric Prum, and Erik Wunsch. Basically, two teams compete to get a ball in the opposing team’s net. The players are armed with stun guns and are able to shoot the player in possession of the ball. These stun guns are amped up enough to give a full grown adult minor muscle spasms and bring them to the ground, but not powerful enough to cause major internal organ damage.
9. Joggling
Each year the International Juggler’s Association holds the World Joggling Championships. Joggling is a competitive race where people are required to juggle three items as they run. Competitors are allowed to juggle any three items they choose, however, most choose either balls or clubs. When they drop one of their items, they must return to the place where they caused the foul and start up again. Race distances range from 100 meters to a 5K and can be done individually or as part of a relay team.
8. Baseketball
Baseketball originates from the 1998 movie starring South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker. Baseketball is explained as a sport in which the basketball game of horse is combined with baseball rules. A player shoots a basketball from different spots which count as either singles, doubles, triples, or home runs. When one missed a shot, it is an out. When players are shooting, the opposing team tries to “psych out” the shooter. They do this by doing strange act or making offensive statements. Many colleges such as Eastern Illinois University have adopted this game as an intramural sporting competition.
7. Polocrosse
Polocrosse is a cross between polo and lacrosse. Horseback riders attempt to use lacrosse sticks to put a rubber ball in the opposing team’s goal. Each team fields six players. Unlike polo, a player is not allowed to change horses in the middle of the match. The only reason one can ride a second horse is if their original horse gets hurt during the competition.
6. Octopush
Octopush, also known as Water Hockey, is a game where teams try to push around a hockey puck at the bottom of a swimming pool. The goal is to shoot the puck with a small, curved piece of wood into the opposing team’s goal. It was invented in England in 1954. The South Sea Sub-Aqua Club used the game as a way to maintain club interest and gain new members during the winter months where pool memberships tend to decline. Since its creation, Octopush has gained worldwide popularity. In 1980, the first “Underwater Hockey Championship” was held in Canada.
5. Equestrian Vaulting
Equestrian Vaulting is exactly what it sounds like. The competition combines elements of horse training with the gymnastic event, vaulting. It is believed the game started in Ancient Rome, but lost popularity. It was introduced into modern society as a popular circus act. Judges give a score to riders based on how well they perform certain maneuvers will riding the horse. The judges also award points to the horse based on how flawless their trot is and how nice their appearance is with both being combined into a final score. Starting in 1980, equestrian vaulting was added to the events list at the World Equestrian Games. It has also been proposed as an Olympic Event.
4. Chess Boxing
Chess Boxing is a combination of two polar opposites. The game goes back to 1979 where it popped up in two different places around the world. In England, the game was invented by brothers James and Stewart Robinson who were both members of England’s chess club and amateur boxers. It also appeared in a film appearing in Hong Kong called Mystery of Chess Boxing. The two creations are not linked to each other. The game consists of eleven rounds; six chess matches and five rounds of boxing. The person with the most rounds won wins the match. The chess games are played with a time and if they reach a stale mate the round is determined by the winner of the following boxing round. Players win a round by either check mate or knockout.
3. International Rules Football
International Rules Football is a combination of two different styles of rugby. It brings rules from Gaelic and Australian rugby together in a single rulebook. It allows for teams from Ireland, and surrounding countries, to compete with Australian rugby teams. From Ireland, the game adapts a square field and a round ball as opposed to the oval shaped arena and ball found in tradition Australian rugby. The Australians add in a more physical element. Players are allowed to hit each other between the shoulders and above the thighs. A player must bounce the ball every six steps and must pass after two bounces. Teams score three ways. They get six points if they shoot the ball in the opposing team's net. If the ball goes over the net and between two posts, like a football goal post, they are awarded three points. Finally, there are two flags place a few meters out from the net. If the ball passes between these flags it counts as one point. Each year Ireland and Australia’s teams meet at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom to compete in an annual International Rules match between the creating countries.
2. Biathlon
Of all the sports on the list, of course biathlon (a combination of rifle shooting and cross-country skiing) is the only one to be recognized as an Olympic event. The biathlon was created in Norway during the 1800s. Originally, Norway used it as an alternate form of military training for troops who were going to be sent on cold weather missions. It soon spread throughout Europe. In 1958, Austria held the first World Championship for biathlon and it joined the list of Olympic events two years later.
1. Frisbee Golf
Frisbee Golf is the world’s most popular hybrid sport. It is estimated the game is played in over 40 countries. Before the stereotyping begins; no, it was not invented by hippies looking for an easy game to play that did not require too much physical activity. It was started in Saskatchewan, Canada by Ronald Gibson in 1929. He invented it when he and his friends were throwing discs at trees and posts. They gave points based on how close the disc landed toward the target and called the game “Tin Lid Golf”. Players use a score card, much like golf, to determine who throws first. The object is to land the Frisbee in a metal bucket set up at the end of each "hole". They use different sized discs depending on where they are on the course moving towards the metal bucket. Frisbee Golf is a very fun game for people of all ages, which is a major reason why it has become an international phenomenon.
