Sport and Games Atlas

How The Game Is Played
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Origin Region

Origin region names the place where a sport's own rules were first codified. Wikipedia notes association football's "Laws of the Game" have been "in effect since 1863 and maintained by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) since 1886," a body rooted in the British football associations that first wrote those laws. This dimension shows which places have given the world their own codified sports.

Facts
Comparison
Era of Origin
1860 1
Defining Characteristic
Racket sports (or racquet sports) are games in which players use a racket or paddle to hit a ball or a shuttlecock. 2
Origin Region
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Tennis
WikipediaTennis, Origins of the modern game section
Quote, Tennis, Origins of the modern game section
Between 1859 and 1865, Harry Gem, a solicitor, and his friend Augurio Perera developed a game that combined elements of racquets and the Basque ball game pelota.
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2. Wikipedia: Racket sport
WikipediaRacket sport, lead section
Quote, Racket sport, lead section
Racket sports (or racquet sports) are games in which players use a racket or paddle to hit a ball or a shuttlecock.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is table tennis grouped with tennis rather than with volleyball?

Table tennis uses a handheld paddle across a net, while volleyball is played with the hand or body alone, so it sits under Court and Net Team Sports.

Racket Sports covers sports in which a ball or shuttlecock is struck with a handheld racket or paddle across a net, including badminton, squash, table tennis and tennis. Volleyball is excluded because it is played with the hand or body alone rather than a handheld striking implement, so it is grouped instead under Court and Net Team Sports.