Invasion Sports

Basketball Rugby: American Football Field Hockey Ice Hockey Ice hockey is a fast-paced team sport played on an ice rink, where two teams of six players each (including a goalkeeper) compete to score by hitting a rubber puck into the opponent’s net using sticks. The game is known for its physicality, speed, and skill, combining skating, stickhandling, passing, and shooting. Played in periods (typically three 20-minute segments), ice hockey demands endurance, strategy, and teamwork. The sport is governed internationally by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). Team Handball Football/Soccer Football, known as soccer in some countries (primarily the United States and Canada), is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players each. The objective is to score goals by getting a ball into the opposing team’s net using any part of the body except the hands and arms (except for the goalkeeper, who can use their hands within the penalty area). It is played on a rectangular field with goals at each end and is governed by rules set by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). Football is the most popular sport in the world, with an estimated 4 billion fans globally. Lacrosse Lacrosse is a fast-paced team sport played with a small rubber ball and long-handled sticks called “crosses” or “crosse.” The objective is to score goals by shooting the ball into the opponent’s net. Originating among Indigenous peoples of North America, it was later adapted by European settlers and has evolved into modern versions, including field lacrosse (outdoor), box lacrosse (indoor), and women’s lacrosse . Water Polo Water polo is a fast-paced, physical team sport played in a swimming pool, where two teams of seven players (six field players and one goalkeeper) compete to score by throwing a buoyant, textured ball (similar in size to a soccer ball) into the opponent’s goal. The game demands a unique combination of swimming, treading water (using the “eggbeater” kick to stay afloat without touching the pool bottom), passing, shooting, and strategic teamwork. Played in a pool 30 meters long by 20 meters wide for men (25m x 20m for women) and at least 2 meters deep, it requires exceptional endurance, strength, and coordination. Matches consist of four 8-minute quarters with a 30-second shot clock per possession, emphasizing quick decision-making. Originating in the mid-19th century in Great Britain as a form of “water rugby,” water polo has evolved into a highly structured sport with global appeal, governed by organizations like World Aquatics (formerly FINA)