If I ask you what is hockey? You will probably answer “a game played using a puck, a stick and skates on an ice field”. You are right, but hockey is not just about the skates and the ice. By definition, hockey is a sport played against by two teams by trying to shoot a puck or a ball, using a stick, into an opponent’s goal or net.

Did you know that hockey was played by the ancient Egyptian 4000 years ago? Hockey is actually a general term for a variety of games being played around the world. In fact, ice hockey is just one of the many types that is being played by people especially in the US and Canada. Here are some of the famous types of hockey:

Ice hockey is played on an ice rink by two teams of ice skaters who try to shoot a puck, using a hockey stick, into an opponent’s goal. It is the most popular form of the game.

Field hockey is another type of the game where players, wearing shoes instead of ice skates, try to shoot a hard ball onto the opponent’s goal. It is played on a field of grass, gravel or sand.

Roller hockey is divided into types: inline (using inline skates) or quad (using roller skates). It is played on a dry rink made of wood or concrete, using a stick to shoot the puck into the opponent’s goal.
Also included in the list of types are the air, ball, beach, broomball, foot, indoor field, mini, power, rinkball, roller, table, underwater or unicycle hockey.

Researches claim that the most popular sport in the whole world is the American Football or Soccer. When defined, the term ‘most popular’ sport generally equates to being the ‘most watched’, ‘most played’ or ‘most revenue-generating’ form of play. In fact, reports reveal that football has the most number of stadiums around the world. The sport also claims to produce the most coveted football merchandise and furthermore, boasts of the most number of leagues or tournaments worldwide -The World Cup, UEFA Champions League, The South American Cup, The American Cup, The Asian Cup, 70 English League Teams, 40 Italian League Teams and 40 Spanish League Teams. Football basically ranks as the top among the list of sport competitions.

Football is believed to gather an estimated 3.5 billion people who either watch or play the sport. The World Cup, played every four years, is the global championship of this sport, and is actually popular in all parts of the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia as well as South America.

Next on the list of the most popular sport in the world is cricket. This sport which originated in England makes use of a bat and a ball and is popular in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and some Caribbean countries. Cricket is also a highly patronized sport in India and Pakistan. Cricket reportedly gathers an estimated 3 billion people who either play as spectator or engage in the game.

Field Hockey is cited as another popular sport next to cricket and football/soccer. It is estimated to gather 2 billion people, mostly from Asian countries, as well as Europe, Australia and Africa. Field Hockey is a sport usually played by high schools across the United States.

Tennis comes in fourth in the list and has an estimated 1 billion cumulative number of players and viewers from different parts of the world. This sport, which is popular in the United States, Asian countries, Australia and Europe, features four main tournaments which comprises the coveted Grand Slam title. These Grand Slam competitions include The Australian Open, The French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.

Coming up next to tennis is volleyball, a sport with an estimated 900 million viewers and players around the world. Volleyball is popular in the United States where it originated. Volleyball is a game that does not require specialized equipment, but does demand excellent physical condition from its participants.