List Of All 40 Racket Sports: The World Of Rackets

Tennis, badminton, table tennis, and squash are known to most people from the racket sports family. However, they certainly aren’t the only ones as there are many more racket sports globally.

In this article, you will learn the general information about each listed racket sport, so you can decide which one is the most lucrative to you. Without further due, let’s start the list in alphabetical order, and as it turns out, the most popular one is the first on the list!

1. Badminton

Badminton is the second most popular racket sport of all, and it’s the second most popular sport in the world as well. It’s is played by roughly 220 million people globally, and it’s the most popular in Asia. That being said, many people own various badminton skills, which is cool to think about.

Badminton is meant to be played indoors, and so are all the competitive games. However, many know it as a popular outdoor hobby and pastime activity.

Badminton is played with a racket with a long and very thin neck, so the whole racket weighs between 80 to 100g. It isn’t played with a ball common in racket sports, but rather a shuttlecock.

Many people often ask the difference between badminton and a shuttlecock, but the shuttlecock is the object with 16 feathers glued on a cork head. The shuttlecock is very light, which results in badminton’s position as the world’s fastest sport!

2. Ball Badminton

Ball badminton is derived from badminton, and it has the highest popularity in India. The sport is played with a yellow wool ball and is very light, just like a shuttlecock.

Despite the name, ball badminton varies quite a lot from traditional badminton. First of all, the court is nearly double the size of a regular badminton court; it’s a team sport and is usually played outdoors.

Thanks to the long court length (12 by 24meters), lightweight of the ball, and the outdoor nature of the sport, it can be quite difficult as wild will affect the ball’s trajectory.

3. Basque Pelota

Basque pelota is an old sport founded in the 13th century. It’s mostly played in Spain, France, and Latin American countries such as Chile, Cuba, and Argentina.

The sport is played against a huge wall with a wooden racket and a bouncy ball. Generally, two teams of two play against each other by striking the ball on the wall, where it needs to hit between the low and high lone.

A team scores if the opposite team can’t strike the ball before rebounding off the floor more than once, or the team strikes it outside the playing area.

4. Battledore & Shuttlecock

Battledore and shuttlecock is an early ancestor of today’s badminton. It’s played with very small rackets and a similar shuttlecock to badminton.

The sport is played by two or more players, and the goal is to pass the shuttlecock as many times to other players as possible, without it falling to the ground. That being said, it isn’t a sport of competitive nature where you try to beat the other player.

Battledore and shuttlecock are especially popular amongst children, as the objective is mainly to have fun without a plan of besting the opponent.

5. Beach Tennis

Beach tennis is an interesting sport that combines aspects of tennis and beach volleyball. As the name suggests, beach tennis is played on a beach with a fast-paced but relaxed atmosphere.

The sport isn’t as competitive as many other racket sports, but it can be played competitively. Annual beach tennis world championships are held in different locations each year.

Beach tennis is played with a racket and a ball, but you will also need the net and a piece of beach sized as a beach volleyball court. Next time you’re on the beach, I highly suggest grabbing the necessary equipment and trying it out with a group of friends, family, or even strangers. It’s a lot of fun!

6. Crossminton (Speedminton)

Crosminton, also called Speedminton or speed badminton, is a mixture of racket sports such as tennis, badminton, and squash. The fun thing about Crossminton is that you won’t need a net, wall, or a court to play it. You can play it anywhere you can find enough space.

Crossminton is played by setting up two squares on the ground, sized at 18ft (5.5m) in length. The squares are set 42ft (12.8m) apart from each other, so you will need accuracy to hit inside the opponent’s box,

A player will score when hitting inside the box where the opponent fails to return it or strikes it outside the opponent’s box boundaries.

When it comes to sports history, Crossminton or shuttle ball was invented in 2001 and since then has spread across the world, mostly in Europe and especially Germany.

7. The Downside Ball Game

The downside ball game is a rarely seen racket sport first played in 1820 at Downside School, England. The sport is played outdoors as it requires a massive 49ft (12m) high (198ft) (30m) wall.

The game is played by four players, two on each team. It’s played with wooden bats leather-covered balls, and it will end when either team reaches 21 points.

The sport is played in England but has failed to spread effectively worldwide. The sport is rarely seen in England either, so it’s one of the rarest seen racket sports on this list.

8. Fives

Fives is an interesting sport from England, and it has many similarities to other racket sports. What makes fives unique is that instead of a racket, the sport is played with a glove or barehand as a racket. It’s played against a wall and is very similar to a sport called pelota.

The sport is also called hand tennis and has many variations such as Eton fives, rugby fives, Winchester fives, and Wessex fives. These different types are very similar but can have certain differences.

If you want to see fives in action, I suggest traveling to the United States and seeing it for yourself. Or, if you’re lucky enough to live there, do us a favor and play a couple of rounds!

9. Four Wall Paddleball

The four-wall paddleball is a fun sport that resembles squash or racquetball. However, it can be played as singles, doubles, or even with three players.

The sport is usually played on a traditional 40 by 20ft racquetball court but has considerable differences from racquetball. First of all, paddleball is played with solid paddles instead of strung rackets. Also, the ball is larger and slower than a racquetball, and the games are played to 21 points.

Thanks to the slower ball and solid paddle, the rallies are considerably longer than racquetball’s short ”kill off” strikes. This makes it arguably more fun.

The four-wall paddleball was invented in 1930 in Michigan, where the sport is most popular today. The sport has spread across the United States, especially in Wisconsin and other areas in the upper midwest.

10. Hardball Squash

Hardball Squash is just like squash, but the ball is much harder than the traditional squash ball. The harder and bouncier ball makes the sport faster and more difficult. However, it isn’t as physically demanding as the rallies are shorter due to the increased speed.

Hardball squash was invented between the 19th and 20th centuries in North America. Regular squash was invented in the United Kingdom, so it’s also referred to as ”US Squash.”

Although hardball squash was once more popular in the United States than the traditional one, it isn’t so anymore. Nowadays, most people in the USA play the international version of squash, and that’s better as it gives more fire under one sport, increasing its popularity and respect.

11. Matkot

Matkot is a sport similar to beach tennis and battledore & shuttlecock; however, there are some differences. It isn’t as popular as beach tennis, and its highest playing population is found in Israel. The sport is also called Israelis as it’s their national beach sport.

Matkot is similar to battledore and shuttlecock as the idea is the same. The goal is to hit the small rubber ball with the wooden racket as many times as possible without falling. Similarly, it’s played by two or more players.

Oh, and the sport is played with the same ball as squash. However, more advanced players might change it to a bouncier and lighter ball to speed things up.

12. Miniten

Miniten is a variant from tennis but only a miniature version of it, as you might understand from the name when you think about it. It was created in the 1930s by naturists that like to be naked as nature has intended. Its creation is the lack of area for many naturists hangouts, so a miniature version was created to pass the time.

The sport is very similar to tennis in scoring and all, but the court is much smaller, and instead of using regular tennis rackets, wooden bats, also known as thugs, are used. Thugs are shaped like a box around the player’s hand, optimal for miniten instead of a powerful, stringed tennis racket.

Next time you don’t feel like heavy exercise and want to pass the time naked, you should try miniten!

13. One Wall Paddleball

One wall paddleball is similar to four wall paddleball, but as you might have suspected, it’s played on a single wall. The sport can be played as singles or doubles, and the ball must hit once on the ground after striking it on the wall, no more, or it will be a foul.

When it comes to the equipment, it’s played with paddles made either from wood or more modern materials such as graphite and titanium. A small rubber ball is used for the sport.

The majority of one wall paddleball is played outdoors and in the United States, but indoor courts are found, and the sport has spread to other countries, such as Puerto Rico. The most popular area to play one-wall paddleball in the United States is New York, as there are many designated walls for it.

At the time of writing, one wall paddleball is over 60 years old from its founding in the 1960s. During that time, one wall paddleball hasn’t spread like crazy, but it is popular amongst various people.

So if you’re interested in one wall paddleball, I suggest visiting New York, and you will find people to play with.

14. Paddle Ball

Paddleball is a racket sport played on a court half the size of a required tennis court and shouldn’t be mistaken for one or four-wall paddleball.

The sport is played with paddles that have holes to reduce air friction and a plastic ball-sized such as a softball with a yellow or greenish color. Generally, paddleball is quite an easy sport because of the ball’s large size and lightweight rackets.

15. Padel

Padel is yet another racket sport with a similar name mixed with others. However, you can’t mistake it for anything else because of its large global popularity, especially in Spain, Argentina, and Chile. However, the sport was founded in Mexico.

You might have noticed the outdoor padel field & cages popping up in many cities, which tells a tale of its rapidly grown popularity.

Padel is played with perforated paddles, balls similar to tennis balls, and a court roughly 25% smaller than a tennis court. Rules such as first and second serve must be underhand, singles and doubles playing options, and the same scoring as in tennis are worth mentioning.

The latest padel information you can find from the International Padel Federation (IPF), operating since 1991.

16. Pan Pong

Pan pong (not ping pong) is a mixture of tennis and ping pong, so it has some interesting practices. For example, pa pong is played on asphalt with soft tennis balls with a wooden plank as a net. The match length is shorter than the usual in tennis or pang pong with only three games.

A pan pong game will start with a coin flip which determines the server. The serving player then must strike the ball inside the opponent’s service area so the rally can begin. The opponent then strikes the ball over the plank, and the rally will go on as long as it goes over the boundaries or doesen’t reach the other side.

The invention of pan pong dates back to 1922, so it’s exactly a hundred years old at the time of writing. Pan Pong is the most popular in Japan but is rarely seen in the United States.

17. Paleta Frontón

Paleta Frontón is a racket sport from Peru. It’s played with a paddle made from Peruvian oak or glass and carbon fiber. The playing object is a small black rubber ball hit on the concrete wall required to play Paleta Frontón.

The wall on the Paleta Frontón field stands 16ft (5m) high by 20ft (6m) wide on a court-sized at 39ft (12m) in length and 25ft (7.6m) in width. That being said, you will need quick feet to beat your opponent.

The court is split into two sections horizontally, and the furthest section is split vertically. The zone closest to the wall is a service zone, and the two areas on the further zone are where the two players stand at the start of the game.

Paleta Frontón isn’t super popular globally, but the sport is extremely popular in Peru. The sport is played competitively by over 2000 people in Peru, so you can make it a significant part of your life!

18. Pelota Mixteca

Pelota Mixteca is a very old sport. It’s said to be thousands of years old, originating from Mexico. Pelota Mixteca is played between two teams, each team having five players. The court used for the sport is similar to tennis; however, it doesen’t have a net.

The most unique and noticeable part of Pelota Mixteca is the thick colorful gloves used to hit the ball.

In my personal opinion, Pelota Mixteca is one of the coolest racquet sports, even when it’s one of the most unusual and old. Perhaps, that’s the reason!

19. Pickleball

Pickleball is the racket sport with the most growth in popularity, especially in the United States. According to the USApickleball statistics, pickleball has grown to 4.8 million players in the US, with a two-year growth rate of 39.3%. For visualization, check out google trends data from the year 2004, and you can see an unbelievable trend growth ever-growing to the present day.

Anyways, pickleball is played on a similar court badminton doubles. Hollow perforated plastic balls are used, and they are struck with paddles made either from wood, graphite, or composite material. The most usual paddle material is wood which is also the cheapest choice.

The game is started with an underhand strike, where the contact must be made below waist level. A funny thing about pickleball is that only the serving player may score a point, and the receiving side can’t.

Pickleball isn’t old as some racket sports and was founded in the mid-60s in Washington as a children’s backyard game. Ever since, pickleball has slowly grown in popularity, and in recent years, it has exploded.

20. Pitton

Pitton is a fascinating sport with many similarities between pickleball and badminton. It’s a mixture of both. Pitton is played by singles or doubles on a pickleball court, with a shuttlecock and hard pickleball paddles. I know, weird.

Its origin is traced back to Heatherwood Middle School in the Everett School District in Washington. Pistons name doesen’t come from python, but it’s a hybrid between pickleball and badminton.

21. Platform Tennis

Platform tennis is a descendant of tennis and has similarities to pickleball. However, the sport is also referred to as ”paddle”, so it’s confusing.

The sport is played on a platform court similar to a tennis court but only 1/4 of the size. Oh, and it’s always surrounded by a wire fence as the court is elevated from the ground.

Platform tennis is played with a spongy ball and small paddles with 87 holes to improve aerodynamics. The paddles look a lot like pickleball paddles.

Platform tennis was founded in 1928 in New York, and the idea was to create a tennis alternative that could be played on a smaller area on any ground, at any time of the year. Thus, platform tennis!

22. Qianball

Qianball is one of the most unusual racket sports on this list, as the ball is attached to a hook on the floor and connected to a rubber band. The sport was derived from a Chinese sport called Qianlongball but modified and popularized in Denmark.

Qianball is played on a slightly smaller court than a tennis court, with both players placed on the same side of the net, so it resembles squash.

Players will serve two consecutive serves before changing sides, and the ball can only hit the floor once in the ball zone. However, if it hits the player zone, the opponent will gain a point and vice versa.

You might think that Qianball is unpopular as it’s so unusual, but over a million people are playing it in China!

23. Racketlon

Racketlon is a funny combination of sports, not a sport on its own. It’s played by competing in the four most popular racket sports in the following order; table tennis, badminton, squash, and tennis. The winner of Racketlon is the one who scores the most points of all the sports combined, and each sport is played to 21 points, so 84 points in total.

The origin of Racketlon is traced back to Finland, as is my own, and from there, it quickly spread to Sweden. Racketlon was first played in the 1980s, but the first official world championship games were hosted in 2001 between Finland and Sweden. Finland won both the men’s and women’s elite classes.

Most Racketlon activities are hosted nowadays by the International Racketlon Federation (IRF), founded in 2002.

24. Rackets/Racquets

Whatever you want to call them, Rackets or racquets are indoor sports played mostly in the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom. Rackets are the predecessor of squash but only a slower sport, so it’s also called ”hard rackets”.

The history of racquets is interesting, as it’s traced back to King’s Bench and Fleet debtors’ prisons! The prisoners played the sport against a prison wall, and it ultimately spread across schools and to the public.

Racquets are played with 30.5in (77cm) wooden rackets and a 1 1/2in (38mm) hard white ball weighing only 1oz (28g). The court is 30 x 60ft (9.1m x 18.3m) in diameter with a ceiling of 30ft (9.1m) h

25. Racquetball

Racquetball is one of the most popular rackets sports around. It’s like squash, but the tempo is far faster, and the rallies aren’t nearly as long. The reason for this is the bouncier and faster ball which allows the ”kill shot” technique, whereas, in squash, the rallies are longer as the ball isn’t as bouncy.

Racquetball is played with a rubber ball 2.25in (57mm) in diameter. There are various ball colors such as blue, green, red, black, purple, pink, and even multicolored. The color represents the ball’s features, such as beginner, control, outdoor, bounce, speed, etc.

A racquetball court is 40ft long, 20ft wide, and 20ft high. The sport is played with a unique-looking racket that can be a maximum of 22 inches (55cm).

There are approximately 3.5 million racquetball players in the United States and 20 million players worldwide. The best days of racquetball and its popularity has passed, but it looks like a slight interest is starting to rise once again!

26. Real Tennis

Real tennis, the sport of kings, Jeu de Paume, the ancestor of tennis, goes by many names and is the predecessor of modern-day tennis. There are around 50 active real tennis courts today, which is nothing compared to tennis courts. However, it’s still amazing that the sport is played.

Real tennis is a sport played indoors on a court 100ft by 39ft (34m by 12m), although other sizes exist. When it comes to the equipment, asymmetrical wooden racquets with tight string jobs are used to strike the balls that look like white tennis balls but are heavier, less bouncy, and harder.

Next time you think about tennis, remember that it’s an end product of its ancestor Jou de Paume or real tennis. Oh, and if you’re interested in playing, you should head to the United Kingdom, as over half of active courts are located there.

27. Road Tennis

Road tennis is just that, tennis played on a road. However, it can be played in any public area such as schoolyards, residential roads, community centers, and other public areas.

Why would someone play tennis on a read if they can play tennis on a court? Well, that’s the thing, road tennis was by working-class people living in Barbados in the 1930s, as they couldn’t afford real lawn tennis. As we know, tennis can be expensive.

Road tennis is played with wooden rackets and a tennis ball with the felt removed. An 8-inch (20cm) high plank is used as a net, and the whole court requires 21 x 10ft (6.4 x 3m) of space to play. For me, it looks like giant table tennis played on a road rather than tennis.

The sport is played to 21 points, and the first person to reach that wins. You can’t volley in road tennis, and each serve must bounce once in the server’s court as well, just like in table tennis. Next time you’re in Barbados, check out the road tennis courts and give it a try.

28. Soft Tennis

Soft tennis is just like tennis but played with softer balls. The biggest popularity for the sport is in Asia, especially in countries such as Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and Taiwan.

The sport of soft tennis was invented in 1884 when tennis was introduced to Japan by a western missionary, which the Japanese then modified to fit their preference of the sport.

Soft tennis world championships are held every four years, and the latest was held in 2019 hosted by China. The next championship game at the time of writing is set at the end of 2022.

29. Speed Ball

Speedball is a racquet sport from Egypt, such as half of myself! The sport was invented as a training regime for beginner tennis players but evolved into its own.

The playing equipment of the speed-ball includes a hollow ball revolving from a nylon thread around a metallic post set at 5.5ft (1.7m) high. The ball is then hit with a plastic racquet, where the ball will go around the post, and you must hit it fast to keep the game at play.

The sport can be played as a super solo, single match (1v1), or double (2v2). If you want to try one of the fastest sports on this list, you should try speed-ball!

30. Sphairee

Sphairee has a cool name and is a mini version of tennis, founded in Australia’s 60s. The sport hasn’t spread globally, but you can find it in Australia, Mauritius, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, and even the United Kingdom.

A cool thing about the sport is that you can play it well indoors and outdoors. The court is quite small, 20ft x 6.5ft (6.2m x 2.2m). Sphere equipment includes a holed plastic ball and bats like oversized table tennis rackets.

31. Squash

The sport of squash is one of the five giants in racket sports (badminton, tennis, table tennis, squash & racquetball). It has a whopping of 20 million worldwide players, wherefrom over a million is in the United States.

Squash is like racquetball, but the game phase is slower as the ball isn’t as bouncy, making it physically harder with longer rallies.

As I mentioned earlier, squash is derived from an older sport called rackets, which the prisoners found in London’s prisons. When you trace squash’s history back, that’s where you’ll end up! Pretty cool, huh?

Anyways, squash is played with a racket with maximum dimensions of 27 inches (68.6cm). When it comes to the squash balls, they are always black with different colored dots on them. Generally, yellow dot balls are the slowest, then green, red, and blue are the fastest and bounciest. It might surprise you that professional players play with the least bouncy and slowest balls.

Squash affairs are managed by the World Squash Federation (WSF), and it’s the most popular in the United Kingdom, Norway, and Egypt.

32. Squash Tennis

As you might guess from the name, squash tennis is a hybrid between squash and tennis. The equipment used has many similarities to lawn tennis equipment, but the rules are slightly different. The court used varies in size, but the standard court size is 17 x 32.5ft (5.2 x 9.9m).

Squash tennis is only played as singles, but it can be played recreationally in any way imaginable. Junior tennis rackets and standard tennis balls are used to play squash tennis. However, the balls are often colored such as pink or hand-colored with a marker to spot better against the wall.

The history of squash tennis dates back to the 1890s and first became popular in 1898 in New York. Fast forward to 1911, the National Squash Tennis Association was founded.

33. Stické

Stické or stické tennis is a sport with real tennis, racquets, and lawn tennis features. The sport was invented in the 1800s in Britain, where two of the three playable courts still exist today. The remaining court is located in India, so there are only three active courts left!

Stické is played with regular tennis rackets and low-pressure balls inside an enclosed court. The court is similar to a tennis court but smaller and made from different materials. The scoring system is the same as in tennis. However, there are other side and back walls, making it more like real tennis.

Stické isn’t far from extinction, and it may very well be the least played racket sport on this list.

34. Table Squash

Table squash is yet another hybrid mixing up table tennis and squash features. It was invented in 2009 United Kingdom, so it’s the most recent member of the racket sports family.

The way table squash works are to push a table tennis table against a wall on its long side, with the net intact. Two players then take a stance on the opposite side of the table while the net is in the middle and use table tennis rackets to strike a ping pong ball in turns on the wall.

The sport was originally played with small domestic tables because it was an alternative for table tennis in areas where you couldn’t fit a regular-sized table tennis table.

The first World Table Squash Championships were held in 2010, and it has continued to be held every four years.

35. Table Tennis

Table tennis, sometimes called ping pong, is the world’s most participated racket sport with a whopping 300 million global players. The sport is by far the most popular in Asia, especially in China, where most Olympic masters come from.

Table tennis is played with a 40-gram ball, a racket with rubbers on both sides, and on top of a usually wooden 9 x 5-inch table. The games are played to 11 with a point differential of 2.

When serving, the ball must bounce two times on both sides of the net when the opponent can strike it. However, after the service, the ball must bounce only once on the opponent’s side of the table to keep the rally going. The first player to fail to hit the table or on the other side of it will lose the rally.

Out of all racket sports that I have tried, table tennis is by far my favorite! Check out this list of all the equipment you can use in table tennis. Some of them are necessary, whereas others are optional.

36. Tamburello

Tamburello is a racket sport with the funnies name, and it’s one of the oldest as well. It was founded in Italy during the 16th century. Tamburello has a lot of similarities to squash, yet the court is far bigger. Oh, and the sport it scored nearly as the tennis scoring system.

Tamburello is the most popular in Italy, where it is even played at a professional level. The name of the sport comes from tambourines (instrument) as each player carries a round wooden frame, covered in horsehide to serve as the ”racket”.

The ball used is generally bigger than a tennis ball, so the sport isn’t incredibly hard to do even when the court is large. The game is scored like lawn tennis, so four points will determine the game and count as 15+15+15+15.

There are many fascinating racket sports on this list, but Tamburello is the top three most unique and fascinating racket sports.

37. Tennis

Tennis is one of the most famous racket sports on the planet. There are an estimated 90 million tennis players worldwide and even a bigger fan crowd! The earnings of pro tennis players are the most glorious, where one player such as Roger Federer can earn over $100 million annually.

Tennis is played with a racket often made from graphite, but other materials are also used. Strings are also attached to the frame to create a string bed, which is used to hit the often pressurized rubber ball covered with green felt.

Tennis is played on a court made from grass, artificial grass, clay, or asphalt covered with an acrylic top. Note that other materials exist, but those four are the major ones. Overall, tennis is the most adored racket sport of all.

If you’re interested in the pros and cons of tennis, I suggest that you check out my article about it! There are a lot of both, but the pros overweight the cons if you ask me.

38. Tennis Polo

Tennis polo, also called toccer, is a field sport resembling lacrosse, handball, and football. The sport is played by two teams of ten players trying to score by using a tennis ball and throwing it into the goal, which is defended by a goalkeeper holding a racket. Tennis polo clearly is a mixture of sports.

A funny thing about tennis polo is its many variations. For example, the outfielders may use rackets on some occasions, but in others, only the goalkeeper wields a racket.

Tennis polo includes two rounds of 20-minute halves, and the team with the most points when the time ends win. Scores are made by throwing or kicking the ball inside the goal. Goals scored outside of the 17 years arc are worth two points, whereas all others are worth one.

The history of tennis polo isn’t old, as it was first played in Connecticut, United States, in 2004. Overall, tennis polo is one of the youngest and hybrid sports on this list.

39. Touchtennis

Touch tennis is a recent invention from 2002, first played in London, United Kingdom. As the name might suggest, it’s a tennis variation and played on a small court, sized at 39 x 20ft (12m x 5m) with tough foam balls and small 21inch (53cm) rackets.

Touchtennis might seem too unusual to be popular, but it’s often featured on Sky Sports, a group of paid British subscription sports channels and the biggest one, so it’s a big deal in the UK and Ireland.

The invention of touch tennis is a sweet story. Rashid Ahmad created it to entertain his daughter in the back garden. Yet didn’t Rashid know that he was creating something big!

40. Xare

Xare is a variation of Basque pelota, and its highest popularity is in South America, which is played by people of all ages. The sport is played in doubles (2v2) and has many similar rules to other wall racket sports, where you need to return the ball after it has bounced once on the ground.

To play Xare, you will need a racket, ball, and a court called trinquete. Trinquete has walls on every side, and the left wall has a facade. The unique part of Xare is that the racket’s ”string job” is, in fact, loose, so you need to catch and throw the ball instead of a strike.

A funny thing about Xare is that the ball can achieve fast speeds, so it’s often played with a bicycle helmet on. On other parts of the world than South America, Xare hasn’t spread as other sports have, but it isn’t the least popular either.