How to Invent a Sport

Inventing a Simple Game

Gather up some sports equipment. If you want to invent a sport, you’ll have to see what kind of balls, rackets or sticks, and goal-type equipment you have. Look around your own house and ask your friends too. Make sure you have enough if each player needs to use their own stick or ball. You might find a golf ball, a baseball bat, a football helmet, and a racket. You don’t have to pick up all of the stuff, but at least make a list of what you have. If you have no sports equipment, make a sport that doesn’t need any. Use just your body and your environment. Adapt running, hand-to-hand combat, or exercise into a sport. Use non-sports equipment for the game. Look for buckets, brooms, rocks, sticks, chairs, boxes, blankets, or any other household items to somehow use for a sport.

Describe how the scoring works. Come up with how players score in the game. Have them throw something the farthest, or hit a ball the most times. Make sure you choose if they must reach a certain score, or if whoever has the best score or performance wins. For example, you might have to score the most points to win. You might score by using the racket to hit the golf ball into the helmet from different distances away. The scoring doesn't have to be points. It could be accomplishing a task first, performing a feat best, or doing something the most times.

Come up with a set rules for your game. You don’t have to make totally new rules for your game, just use the rules of other games you know. Make sure the rules tell players what they have to do and what they are not allowed to do. Combine rules from different sports so they fit together. For example, most sports have boundary lines that players must stay within. If you cross a boundary line, the other player or team takes control of the game. Make rules about players touching each other. Football allows players to make physical contact with regulations about what's acceptable. Yet, baseball has very little contact. Include rules about how to use the equipment, such as kicking the ball in soccer, throwing and catching the ball in football, or tagging the base in baseball.

Set a number of players who can play. Decide if your game is played one-on-one or with teams, or if it works with either. If there has to be an exact number, make sure you know how many. If the game works with different numbers of players, that will give you more freedom. For example, tennis only works with two players or four players, but basketball works with two to ten or more players.

Find an open place to play the sport in. Make sure you have enough space to play. Stay away from buildings and anything else that might get in the way. You’ll need room to run around for most sports. Ask your parents before you go away from your house. If you need any type of boundaries or starting lines, use trees or the edge of the grass. If you have cones or rope, use that to set up lines, too.

Making Advanced Guidelines

Browse the rules and objectives of existing sports. Research sports that you know of. See how they are played, what the rules are, how you win, and what penalties there are. By learning about lots of sports, you are able to see what you like and dislike. Start a list of features from various sports that you want your sport to include. You might take the layout of a baseball field, the play features of bocce ball, and the penalties of football. Don’t take more than one or two features from each sport unless you want to create something that’s a variation of a sport that already exists.

Outline the basic objective of the sport. Write out how the game is played and how a winner is determined. Be as specific as possible about what each player or team must do and what they are not allowed to do. Decide if there is a time limit or if play goes on until a certain score or goal is reached. Decide if teams rotate turns or if play shifts back and forth between them at random. For example, in volleyball, each team serves at specific times, but play passes back and forth until one team misses the ball. In baseball, teams take turns being at bat and in the field. Many sports, like soccer, have a time limit and the winner is whoever has the most points. Others, like tennis, are played until a specific point value is reached.

Determine the ideal number of players. If you want the sport to require teams, decide if there must be a set number or if it can vary. On the other side, plan the sport differently if you want it to be a one-on-one game. Keep in mind that some of the most popular sports are adaptable for a range of players. Sports like soccer, basketball, ultimate frisbee, and football are designed to accommodate a range of player numbers. They typically require at least two people per team and up to ten or eleven, but the game can be played with any number in between. Games like ping pong, tennis, and racquetball require at least two and no more than four, in most cases. Set out what you think is the ideal number of players, but make note of how the game could be adapted for different numbers of players.

Write out all of the rules that are necessary to make the game work. Start broad, and expand outward into specifics. Make sure there are enough rules to make the sport work but not so many that it becomes confusing for players to learn it. For starters, set out five to ten basic rules. You might brainstorm lots of rules and then rank them in terms of importance. Go through a process of elimination to get rid of ones that are not necessary. Rules include what players must do, what they are allowed to do, and what they are not allowed to do. For example, players must walk, are allowed to jump, but can’t run. Incorporate various rules from sports that already exist, which you researched in the first stage of the sport’s development.

Designing a New Field and Equipment

Create the equipment needed to play your sport. Use balls, rackets, or gear that is used in other sports, or come up with something completely new. Streamline the equipment so it performs the actions that are necessary to play the game. Make sure you have everything you need but nothing extra. If your sport is played with a ball, find an existing one from another sport that fits your sport well. If you can’t find an existing ball, try making one out of rubber, plastic, leather, or fabric. Build new goals, sticks to hit or throw the ball with, or other objects that are necessary for the game to work. Adapt things that are not even sports related so that they work for your sport. Use kitchen utensils, cleaning supplies, toys, or other everyday items for your sport.

Make an efficient uniform for players to wear. If your sport requires specific gear or a uniform, you may have to make it yourself. Use basic clothing like shirts and pants to create a suitable uniform. Be sure to include any safety equipment that is necessary in your overall uniform design. For example, horseshoes can be played in casual clothing, while ice hockey requires at least skates, but players usually wear a helmet, pads, and extra layers for warmth. Racquetball and tennis don’t require a specific uniform, but wearing tight-fitting and comfortable clothing makes them easier to play. Jot down what you think would be the ideal outfit to play in, but include ways that a player could vary the uniform if they need to.

Draw a basic design for the playing field. Browse the layouts of existing sports fields. Pick a layout that’s most useful and adapt it. Grab a large sheet of paper and a pencil to sketch out the simple design. If you have some type of computer design software, draw up a detailed version. Design the layout of the field to suit the goal of the game. If there is a lot of running, you may want a long field of play. If the game takes place while standing still, keep the space small. Include boundary lines, score zones, penalty boxes, starting lines, and any other specific aspects of the field that are vital to the play of the game. Be sure to write down the dimensions of each part of the play area because your drawing probably will not be to scale.

Getting People to Play Your Sport

Name your sport. The final step of the inventing process is giving a name to your new sport. Try to relate it to the game play or objective of the sport. Make it something catchy that people will be interested in. It must be easy to say and easy for people to remember, or it won’t catch on. Don’t make it too complicated, like "Hooskerdoodlerama," but make sure it isn’t obvious, like "Throwball," either. Think of names like “Prawdle,” “Malinny,” or “Bindleboo.”

Tell people about the sport. Get a group of friends together, and describe the sport to them. Tell them about the objective, the rules, and the things you use to play. Ask them for feedback about it, and ask for ways it could be improved upon. Let them look through the rules you’ve written up and any drawings of the field or equipment that you have. This helps them get a better idea of how the game works. Ask them to give you a recap of the sport to see if it makes sense and if they remember the general idea of the game.

Play the sport with a group of people. Ask people to join you in playing the sport. Find a public place to set up a simple version of the field. Tell people what to wear or provide uniforms. Bring the equipment you need. Tell everyone how to play the sport, and get started. If you play with them, make sure you are paying attention that everyone is playing the right way and following the rules. You are the inventor, so you have to referee and coach the players, too. Take notice of how the game goes, and make notes afterwards of what went well and what went poorly. Use these notes to make adjustments to the game for the next time you play. Ask the players to give you feedback about the game. Ask them if it was easy to understand and play. Ask if they had fun and if the game flowed well or was too complicated.