Every Sport We Cover, Side by Side

Real US player counts for pickleball and padel, and search interest for 16 more.

Updated · Wildcard Sport editorial team

Racket & Paddle

Kick & Volley

Team Ball Games

Stick & Contact

Only two new sports have verified US participation counts: pickleball and padel. At Wildcard Sport, we check each sport against its governing body's own pages and published figures. Industry survey data from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) recorded 24.3 million American pickleball players in 2025. That same year, SFIA tracked padel for the first time and counted 1,073,000 US participants.

Most other new sports have no published US survey or player data. For those games, search interest measures curiosity rather than active court adoption.

The Numbers at a Glance

Pickleball expanded from 4.2 million US players in 2020 to 24.3 million in 2025, according to an SFIA report published June 4, 2026. Core participants who played eight or more times in a year grew from 1.4 million to 7.5 million across that five-year stretch. Female participation rose as well, moving from 38.6 percent in 2020 to 42.9 percent in 2025.

Padel entered the SFIA Topline Participation Report for the first time in 2025, expanding SFIA's tracked activities from 124 to 126. The United States Padel Association (USPA) reported these findings on April 13, 2026, based on SFIA's survey of 18,000 US residents aged six and older. Of the 1,073,000 total padel players, 835,000 played between one and seven times, while 238,000 played eight times or more.

Outside of pickleball and padel, no emerging sport publishes audited US participation counts. We use monthly query counts from the Semrush US database (October 2026) to track public interest. Search queries reflect searcher intent and curiosity, not physical participation.

Sport Origin Year US Governing Body US Searches per Month (Oct 2026) Verified US Players (2025)
Padel 1969 United States Padel Association 60,500 1,073,000
Flag football 1940s USA Football 60,500 Not published
Roundnet (Spikeball) 1989 USA Roundnet 33,100 Not published
Chess boxing 2003 None recognized 14,800 Not published
Sepak takraw 15th century None recognized 6,600 Not published
Platform tennis 1928 American Platform Tennis Association 5,400 Not published
Tchoukball 1969 None listed on FITB 4,400 Not published
Beach tennis Early 1970s None recognized 3,600 Not published
Teqball Early 2010s US National Teqball Federation 2,900 Not published
Jugger 1989 None recognized 2,900 Not published
Floorball 1968 USA Floorball 2,900 Not published
Footvolley 1965 Pro Footvolley Tour 1,000 Not published
Kin-ball 1986 None recognized 1,000 Not published
POP tennis Early 1920s International POP Tennis Association 590 Not published
Speedgate 2019 None recognized 480 Not published
Cageball 2002 None recognized 320 Not published
Padbol Developed 2008 Entertainment and Sports Services LLC 140 Not published

Racquet and Paddle Sports

Padel draws 60,500 US searches a month (Semrush, October 2026) and is the only enclosed court sport here with tracked US participation data. Court sizes are in our guide to padel court dimensions, and the rules are in our padel basics guides.

POP tennis started in the early 1920s on New York City playgrounds. It draws 590 US searches a month (Semrush, October 2026), and our guide to sports like pickleball covers how it compares.

Beach tennis originated in Italy at Lido degli Estensi during the early 1970s, according to the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC). The discipline joined the program of the ANOC World Beach Games in Qatar in 2019. It attracts 3,600 monthly US searches, and our beach tennis breakdown covers sand court play.

Platform tennis began in 1928 in Scarsdale, New York, according to the American Platform Tennis Association. Search interest registers 5,400 monthly queries, with full details in our guide to platform tennis.

Sports You Play With Your Feet

Teqball originated in Hungary in the early 2010s, and the International Teqball Federation (FITEQ) was formed in Budapest in March 2017. Athletes compete on a curved table using soccer touches. The sport was added to the 2023 European Games in Krakow-Malopolska as the sixteenth announced sport, according to the Polish Olympic Committee.

In the United States, the US National Teqball Federation launched in July 2020 and reported over 60 registered clubs as of June 2021. Monthly US search interest stands at 2,900 queries. Match rules appear on our teqball page.

Footvolley combines beach volleyball court setup with soccer contact rules. The European Footvolley League (EFVL) credits Octavio de Moraes with creating the game in 1965 in Rio de Janeiro, while noting that observers dispute whether Copacabana was the exact beach. The Pro Footvolley Tour staged its 2026 Nations Cup in Ocean City, Maryland, featuring teams from the US, Brazil, Spain, Argentina, Mexico, and the United Kingdom, reported by WMDT. Search interest averages 1,000 monthly queries, detailed further under footvolley.

Padbol fuses soccer, tennis, volleyball, and squash inside an enclosed court. Development started in 2008 in La Plata, Argentina, under founder Gustavo Miguens, according to research from the Universidad Nacional de La Plata and Que.es. The sport officially launched in late 2010 per padbol.com. Installation records are contested. The university paper records the first court in early 2011, while Nicolás Renedo told The Padel Paper that the initial court opened in 2010.

Courts measure 32.8 by 19.7 feet (10 by 6 m) with a tolerance of up to 8 percent, per the Padbol Official Game Rules. A U-shaped enclosure of glass, masonry, or mesh rises 8.2 feet (250 cm) at both ends. The net stands at a uniform 39.4 inches (100 cm). A red attack zone covers 3.3 feet (1 m) on each side of the net, and after the serve a player may volley only with at least part of a foot inside it. Players kick a polyurethane ball about 26.4 inches (67 cm) around, weighing 13.4 to 14.1 ounces (380 to 400 g).

Two pairs compete using tennis scoring with sets to six games by two. Teammates alternate touches for a minimum of two and maximum of three hits before clearing the net. Hand and arm touches are illegal. One-touch returns off walls are allowed, but direct serves into metal mesh count as faults. In 2024, rules introduced unlimited substitutions during side changes.

Padbol's site claims four World Cups, starting in La Plata in 2013, and The Padel Paper called the 2023 edition in Brazil the fourth. Padbol is operated by Entertainment and Sports Services LLC of Miami, Florida, according to padbol.com. However, the Padbol venue directory lists no US locations. In December 2023, Miguens said padbol was working on a franchise model for the United States. Padbol draws 140 US searches a month (Semrush, October 2026).

Sepak takraw draws 6,600 US searches a month (Semrush, October 2026). Court boundaries and player positions are outlined in our guide to sepak takraw.

Team and Backyard Sports

Roundnet dates to 1989, according to USA Roundnet. USA Roundnet calls itself the volunteer-powered National Governing Body for roundnet in the USA, with eleven committees. Searches for "spikeball" average 33,100 per month, and serving regulations are covered on our spikeball rules page.

Flag football records 60,500 US searches a month. On October 16, 2023, the Olympic session in Mumbai approved flag football for the 2028 Los Angeles Games alongside cricket, lacrosse, squash, and baseball-softball, reported by Fox News. The Olympic competition will use a 5-on-5 structure on a 50-yard field, reported by ESPN. Field assignments are explained on our flag football positions page.

Tchoukball was invented in 1969 by Swiss biologist Dr. Hermann Brandt and officially introduced in 1970. The International Tchoukball Federation (FITB) was established on June 5, 1971, and hosted its first World Championships in 1984.

The United States is not listed as a member on the FITB membership roster as of October 2026. Search volume stands at 4,400 monthly queries. Complete rebounding regulations are detailed under tchoukball.

Floorball draws 2,900 US searches a month (Semrush, October 2026), and its rules are on our floorball page. Kin-ball gets about 1,000 US searches a month (see our kin ball guide).

Unusual Games With a Following

Chess boxing draws 14,800 US searches a month (Semrush, October 2026), more than any other sport in this section. Victory conditions and ring timing appear on our chess boxing rules page.

Jugger gets about 2,900 US searches a month (see our jugger guide).

Speedgate was designed in 2019 and gets about 480 US searches a month (see our speedgate guide).

Cageball gets about 320 US searches a month, with rules documented on our cageball page.

Which Ones Are in the Olympics

Flag football holds guaranteed inclusion for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Flag football was approved on October 16, 2023, at the Olympic session in Mumbai as part of a single five-sport package that received only two dissenting votes, according to Fox News. LA28 matches will feature 5-on-5 play across a 50-yard field, reported by ESPN.

Teqball debuted as the sixteenth sport on the European Games program in 2023 in Krakow-Malopolska, according to the Polish Olympic Committee. The program listed events in men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles.

Beach tennis established international presence through the ANOC World Beach Games, and was contested at the 2019 Games in Qatar, reported by ANOC. Despite their international events, padel, teqball, and beach tennis are not on the Olympic schedule for Los Angeles 2028.

How to Pick One to Try

Pickleball and padel offer the fastest route to finding a local match in the United States. For padel, use our guide to finding a padel court before buying equipment.

Sports like roundnet and flag football do not require dedicated court infrastructure. Padbol needs an enclosed court, teqball a curved table and tchoukball rebound frames, and padbol's directory lists no US venue.

Check the federation pages linked above for listed venues before buying a paddle or ball. To see which sport fits how you like to play, take our new sport quiz.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the newest invented sport?

Speedgate is the newest sport covered here, designed in 2019 as a field game. Padbol was developed starting in 2008 and launched in 2010. Most other emerging sports are decades older. Pickleball (USA Pickleball) and footvolley both date back to 1965.

What new sports will be in the 2028 Olympics?

Olympic voters approved flag football for the 2028 Los Angeles Games alongside cricket, lacrosse, squash, and baseball-softball. At LA28, teams will play 5-on-5 on a 50-yard field. Padel and teqball are not included.

What sport is similar to pickleball?

Padel, POP tennis, beach tennis and platform tennis are the closest matches, and our guide to sports like pickleball compares them rule by rule.

Is teqball in the Olympics?

Teqball is not part of the Olympic Games. Its first multi-sport event was the 2023 European Games in Krakow-Malopolska, as the sixteenth announced sport. Teqball is not among the five sports added for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Is spikeball a sport?

Yes. Roundnet, the sport most people call spikeball, dates to 1989. USA Roundnet governs American competition through eleven volunteer committees.

Is footvolley a real sport?

Footvolley is a genuine sport. The European Footvolley League dates the game to 1965 in Rio de Janeiro, though observers dispute the exact beach. In 2026, the Pro Footvolley Tour staged an international Nations Cup in Maryland.

Where is beach tennis from?

Beach tennis originated in Italy at Lido degli Estensi during the early 1970s. The Association of National Olympic Committees added the sport to the 2019 World Beach Games program in Qatar. It draws 3,600 US searches a month (Semrush, October 2026).

Sources

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