Fall sports are a diverse array of athletic activities that take place during the autumn season, typically from August/September to November.
Here's a comprehensive list of the most popular fall sports:
List of Fall Sports
Team Sports
- American Football: A contact sport played by two teams of 11 players who advance an oval-shaped ball down a field by running with it or passing it. It is a popular high school and college sport in the United States.
- Soccer (Association Football): A team sport played between two teams of 11 players who try to maneuver the ball into the other team's goal using any part of their body except their hands and arms. It is one of the most popular sports worldwide.
- Volleyball: A team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.
- Field Hockey: A team sport in which a ball is propelled by a stick to score goals. It is played on a grass field by two teams of 11 players each.
Individual Sports
- Cross Country Running: A sport in which runners compete on open-air courses over natural terrain. The courses can include surfaces of grass, and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road.
- Golf: A club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible.
- Swimming and Diving: A sport that involves swimming and diving competitions. Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic sports, with events in butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle, and individual medley.
- Tennis: A racket sport that can be played individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over or around a net and into the opponent's court.
See: The 5 Toughest Sports in the World
Other Fall Sports
- Cheerleading: An activity in which squads lead and motivate sports teams and fans, and perform at half-time intervals. Cheerleaders cheer for their team, perform stunts, and dance to music.
- Gymnastics: A sport that involves performance of short routines on different apparatuses, with less time for vaulting. The sport is governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG), which designs the Code of Points and regulates all aspects of international elite competition.
- Rowing: A sport in which athletes race boats using oars. There are several boat classes based on the number of rowers and coxswain, with the main distinction being between sculling and sweep rowing.
Fall sports offer a wide range of activities for both team and individual athletes, providing opportunities for competition, physical fitness, and camaraderie. Whether you prefer the fast-paced action of football, the precision of golf, or the teamwork of soccer, there is a fall sport for everyone to enjoy.
