The most difficult sports in the world to play
Here is my list of the most challenging sports in the world to play. Every sports is difficult at the elite level. I removed the numbers as I did not want to disrespect any sport or group of athletes by saying one sport is more difficult than the other. Nevertheless here is a list of the most difficult sports and the “WHY”.
Sports fans, athletes, and industry insiders often debate with passion about which sport is the most challenging and demanding.
Different athletic evaluators use differing criteria for their argument, but I chose to focus on the difficulty of the sport.
Such as what type of athletic ability is needed to excel at the sport, endurance, speed, training, the mental focus required, and overall skill.
At the bottom of this article, you will find a sports matrix with the scoring table.
20 Hardest Sports to Play
Swimming
People who swim know how tough it can be on the entire body and when you discuss Olympic level swimmers, they are some of the fittest endurance athletes on the planet (along with cyclists).
Olympic level swimmers’ lower bodies and upper bodies are always in active motion in and out of the water.
Compared to some of the other endurance sports, it may not be that difficult technically, but what is needed to compete at the highest levels is rare.
Baseball:
Neither catching nor hitting a baseball should be underrated. What they say about hitting an MLB baseball is true. It is more complicated than what people realize, as baseball is a game of failure. If you hit the ball three out of ten times, you are a great player.
When Ozzie Smith talked about the difficulty of hitting a baseball, he said, in summary, trying to hit a ground ball going 95 to 100 miles per hour is extremely difficult. Guys that can hit consistently at .300 are incredibly super players. You add in the difficulty of pitches such as curveballs, sliders, and changeups, and it is sometimes an impossible feat.
Ice Hockey
Hockey is in 18th place on skating alone; forget getting hit while trying to score or someone continually trying to knock you off balance while balancing on a blade. Sixty long, tough minutes sliding around on ice requires focus and toughness. The physicality needed to weave, bob, and change direction are challenging, even for the best. Ice hockey is one of the hardest, coldest, and toughest sports to play.
Tour De France Level Cycling:
Are you ready to suffer? Well, this is what you must be willing to do. Suffer when you train. Grit your teeth when your legs are burning like someone put gasoline on them and lit them on fire. Suffer while overlooking a cliff and your competitor squeezing you right on the edge of falling. Pushing through the pain may seem easy, but these guys have a rare pain threshold and unreal endurance level.
Track and Field – Triple Jump
Sprint as fast as possible, then jump as far as you can off one leg, now land on that same leg and jump as far as you can again without letting your other foot hit the ground. Now land on the opposite leg and jump as far as you can. Now measure yourself… most likely no further than 30 feet. Which is ok for a female high school sophomore.
The world record is 60 feet. Only about ten people in the world can jump 57 – 59 feet. Some of these guys can line up a couple of feet behind the free-throw line and dunk with ease.
Elite high schoolers are 48 – 52 feet. And the high schoolers will dunk and jump with some of the best football, professional basketball athletes in the world.
Triple Jump is no joke. It requires elite lower body coordination, power, and explosion. This could be much higher because of the degree of difficulty, but it is so narrowly focused area of athleticism that it can’t be ranked too high on the list.
Alpine Skiing
No fear… 70-80 miles an hour while sliding on ice and jumping 100 feet in distance with ease requires power, explosiveness, mental focus, and a mind that can dominate fear.
Rugby and Australian Rules Football is one of the toughest sports in the world
Rugby:
When you are talking about the toughest guys in the sport, rugby players are at the top of the list. Hey, put your shorts on, and a nice tight shirt. Grab your ball and run for the goal post until ten people take any kind of shot they want at you.
A bone bruise is no problem, thigh bruise as deep as the ocean just keeps playing you “wussy.” We always argue and debate about which is the most physically demanding sport in the world. Different people consider different criteria and characteristics in the argument, but rugby and Australian rules football top the list.
Tennis
Top-level tennis requires a quick burst of energy, precision, and explosive movement. Tennis requires incredible hand-eye coordination, timing, and the ability to see or predict ball movement before it happens. Try playing an excellent high school tennis player.
Now that is like children’s play compared to Serena Williams or Rafael Nadal. Tennis matches can last 3 hours, which takes so much out of the body and mind. Throw in a bad call at 2 hours and 30 minutes, and you might throw your racket at the ref, too.
Water Polo
Real simple: try to tread water for an hour with someone punching, pulling, grabbing, scratching, and kicking you. Now try to carry a ball, swim 40 yards and throw it through a small whole. This is what water polo athletes do. If you were on the titanic, just jump on the water polo guys back. He will most likely carry you as easy as a horse carries a rider.
Big Wave Surfing
Laird Hamilton is a rock. Balance, coordination, and becoming one with nature is the method to his greatness. Big wave surfing is not for the weight room warriors; the big wave is where your body and mental makeup meet. Can you discern the waves, do you have an ability to understand nature and ride with it instead of changing it. This is very difficult; there is no faking it, not a lot of media around, just you, the waves, and a few water warriors along for the ride just like you.
Extreme Mountain Biking
Red Bull Rampage Extreme Mountain Biking is next level mountain bike riding where riders scale, flip, twist, jump and ride down a treacherous mountain in the desert of Utah. This type of journey takes elite-level bike skill, timing, control, and an ability to manage fear. The risk is severe injury, or worse yet, these riders do it with style, speed, and often grace. Most of the prize is internal gratification over money as the riders desire to test themselves on the most challenging courses in the world.
Professional Supercross
People might underestimate motorcycle racing, or specifically, motocross and supercross racing. These guys are fit and have a mental focus that is incomparable. The top-level elite riders’ focus is incredible, and this sport is truly more mental than physical. The strength, reflexes, and physical demands required for top-level supercross and motocross are taxing.
But the mental focus needed to ride a 35-minute moto at Stephen Everts, Antonio Caroli’s, James Stewarts, or Ricky Carmichael’s pace is unbelievable. You add in the risk factor, and this sport is tough. There is high risk in this sport and athletes like Ken Roczen, Ryan Villopoto and Ryan Dungey have all had to overcome great opposition in their career.
The reality is that this sport is economically dependent and requires specialized tracks and equipment to train on. Which makes it more challenging and why I placed lower on the list.
The physicality is not as difficult as getting the right type of preparation program. You will need the right motorcycle equipment and the right practice facilities. This sport requires fitness endurance, mental fortitude, and finances, rather than being a sport that requires elite level athleticism, special size, height, and weight requirements. Determination, strategy combined with the right team and resources can achieve great things.
With that being said this sport is tough and I mean really tough on the body and mind. 99% of the population could not ride around a supercross track at any speed for 1 lap. In comparison everyone can shoot a basketball decently with basic practice. If you like a challenge as most of us do. Get a bike and start riding. You must take time to prepare and have the resources to do so. Riders at the top do very well economically but all riders at the pro level deserve more financially. These guys are tough and some of the most committed athletes in all of sports. The risk factor, in addition to the endurance and mental energy, required puts this sport high on the list. Salute to the riders!
Talent and skill will still need great bikes; at least 2 -3 a year and tracks to practice on. Difficult sport! … but resources is a necessary component to progress.
Basketball:
You probably think basketball should be higher on the list. Undoubtedly people like Lebron James, Russell Westbrook, Micheal Jordan, and Shaquille O’neal are some of the best athletes in the world, no matter what sport you choose. Basketball is a game of unique skills, not just skill. It is a game of unique skill; for example, if Steph Curry just shot the three and did not do anything else, he could still play in the NBA as a shooter.
So shooting perfection is a skill that can be developed with dedication and practice. Basketball is a challenging game, and the average NBA two-guard, point guard, or stretch four basketball players are some of the most mobile, athletic athletes in the world. B-ball is a game of skill that can be developed without much risk or injury. Basketball is extremely tough; moving up and down the court, you must have the endurance to run, jump and explode, but players with unique skill can fit in amongst the players with great athletic ability. Lack thereof of reasonable size does not limit one from playing the game if they have a high level of unique basketball skills.
Futbol/Soccer
The third team sport on my list, futbol, or “the beautiful game” as Brazilians called it requires speed, quickness, expertise, and high-intensity explosive bursts, all while dribbling a round ball. Top soccer players rely heavily on their speed, power, tactical ability, and agility to separate themselves from other players.
Soccer players can run upwards of nine miles a game. At an average of 12 miles per hour with bursts in the 20s. Are you kidding me? Nope, I am pressing these guys are in shape; Messi will run circles around you with a ball attached to his foot while saying, “Argentina is the greatest of all, and Brazil has no chance.”
Of course, Pele will say, “We play a beautiful game for all the world to see and soccer as difficult as it is can only be appreciated if played beautifully.”
Soccer/futbol is Ninety minutes of speed and endurance; even American football and basketball cannot keep up with this kind of pace.
Click here for more sports breakdown.
American Football
By far, the most popular game in America and one of the more visible sports in the world. American football requires a combination of strength, size, speed, power, and explosiveness that is hard for other professional sports to match.
The size and speed ratio of NFL players is a scary matchup for most other sports athletes. But what separates the NFL is the contact and the physicality needed to match up against opposing offensive or defensive players. Defensive backs or, more specifically, wide receivers and cornerbacks are some of the most gifted all-around athletes in the world. These guys could likely do a variety of different sports at an elite level.
Size, Speed, Strength, Ratio of NFL Athletes
Additionally, you add in the size, speed, and strength ration of DE, OLB, examples such as Myles Garret, JJ Watt, and most athletes would not want to be within 5 feet of these guys in any type of contact competition. The NFL does not require all players to have the worldly ability, but a lot of them do, which would make it very hard for a person off the street or any other athlete to compete.
The size, strength and speed combination is challenging to match. Just think of Terrell Owens or Julio Jones decided to play soccer/futbol as a striker. They could most likely do it. But could Ronaldo play American football? Size would limit him. This is why football ranks high, specifically for athletic positions.
Martial Arts:
The second fight sport on my list, Martial Arts, MMA, Ninja Training, and Monks, are some of the more disciplined athletes in the world, combining mind, body, and spirit. Yes, I said monks, have you seen those guys train? Leg splits while someone is cracking you on the head with a stick. That’s abuse in America, so Americans could not even compete. There is a level of training that is deeper than the physical body. This is a type of exercise that only a few athletes can adhere too. It requires integrity, a purification process, and social responsibility. The highest level of martial arts is about mastering oneself while being a service to others. It is without ego and constant applause that these athletes and masters pursue to perfect their physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional selves. Many of the training methods are unknown.
Olympic BMX
This sport is extremely difficult and requires mental toughness as well as physical ability. BMX is a pure sport of skill, balance, power and focus. Purchase a bike for less than a $1000 dollars and start racing and riding wheelies. Riders such as BMX legends Ronnie Anderson, Greg Hill, Pete Loncarevich, Mike King, Steve Veltman, Tommy Brackens, Richie Anderson, Olympian Connor Fields, Niek Kimmann, Donny Robinson, Sylvain Andre, Kye White, Alfredo Campo, Maris Stromberg, Joris Daudet, Mike Day, Kyle Bennet, and Bob Haro have paved the way for millions of BMX racers to enjoy this sport.
It takes lots of practice and dedication but this is a sport that will reward you for hard work, dedication and a high skill level.
Boxing
Boxing is one of the most physically, mentally, and technically demanding sports in the world. A true 1 on 1 matchup…Can’t fake it, no one can do it for you! Maybe Don King can pull some shenanigans but at some point you gotta fight!
Studies on boxing techniques and world-class competition are extremely demanding on all aspects of the body.
Examining the Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather fight, one would have assumed that Conor McGregor, who is a world-class MMA fighter himself would stand a chance against an older fighter in Mayweather.
But as Mayweather showed, boxing truly is a sweet science of muscle movement, endurance, and strategy.
When we talk about elite boxing greats such as Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Julio Cesar Chavez, Leonard, Mayweather, Roy Jones, Tyson Fury and the Ali, these boxing athletes are physically and mentally some of the best the world.
Boxing is a competition of technique, speed, strength, power, endurance, and the ability to overcome pain for a more extended period. A thirty-six-minute fight requires a lot from a fighter. Man faces a man with nowhere to run.
Olympic Level 100, 200, 400-meter sprinters
Olympic level sprinters like Usain Bolt are just hard to fathom.
If you have ever been on the field with an athlete that runs 10.2 seconds or under, you will understand. 10.2 Seconds which is what a guy like Tyreke Hill runs, is still pedestrian compared to Olympic level 100, 200, and 400-meter sprinters.
The fastest guy I ever faced was Eddie Kennison out of LSU/Kansas City Chiefs, who ran 10.19. It was like a horse running at you. Just say fast!
Olympic Level Gymnastics
Gymnastics has many different events and forms when it comes to the elite Olympic Games athletes.
These exceptional athletes have grit, beauty, grace, strength, and power, which requires a higher level of physical fitness, flexibility, strength, and reflexes than usual. You add with that the core balance, flipping, space awareness, and mental fortitude needed to focus and endure complicated gymnastics tricks with control, grace, and timing. Now you have a challenging sport.
Gymnastics takes time, and athletes train for years to allow their bodies to change to be able to perform Olympic level tricks eventually. Gymnastic athletes are not born with the skill; they work, sweat, bleed, and bend themselves into some of the fittest, most muscular athletes in the world.
Solo Climbing – Alex Honnold
The hardest sport in the world could be solo climbing. Has anyone free-climbed El Capitan? Yes, sir; mental master and solo climbing rock climber guru Alex Honnold. He is the first person to climb the legendary 3,000-foot granite rock wall known as El Capitan.
Alex did this without using a rope, help, or assistance. Just chalk, focus, and hands of precision. They say this may be the one most significant climbs in solo rock climbing history. It took him 3 hours, 56 minutes.
Which is the equivalent of 4 football games or 5-48 minutes basketball games? No room for error is why solo climbing sits atop the list, in addition to the focus that is needed and a unique understanding of body mechanics and arm strength.
He would complete a ninja warrior course as light cool down before going to bed. Alex Honold is on another level. Imagine looking up at the Empire State Building and deciding not to use the elevator, but instead clinging and climbing on the outside of the building all the up to the top in about 4 hours. Incredible!
Often sports entertainment is about the lights, the money, and who the media highlights. It is easy to forget people that are doing amazing things without much fan affair. So I am going to take a little time to highlight this fantastic Solo Climber. Honnold was born in Northern California Capital in Sacramento, California. He started climbing at a young age of 5 and entered in several international youth rock climbing championships.
He was admitted to the Prestigious University of California, Berkeley, and studied civil engineering. Eventually, he left college to pursue rock climbing pursuits.
Alex has inspired others within the community to aiming heights. Tommy Caldwell, who is also a climber, followed Honold in his solo climbing pursuits after losing a finger. Yes, Tommy Caldwell, in a wild kidnapping event, lost his finger, reinventing himself. He was inspired by Alex Honold and was able free climb El Capitan’s Dawn Wall
Track and Field Decathletes
One of the most popular athletic contest in sport “the decathlon.” The decathlon is truly a measure of complete athletic ability. I doubt that any athlete in all of the above sports can do one event at the Olympic level decathlon. Possibly some football players can run the 100 meters at the decathlon level or long jump, or soccer players might run the mile close to the pace of a decathlete. But most professionals will not even touch the necessary numbers of a decathlete.
It is the most demanding sports period! Most people have no idea of what it takes to meet the Olympic standard for one event. These men and women are on another level. If you ever witnessed an Olympic Level event you would think you were watching a cartoon. Track and field is one of the most difficult sports to compete at the world-class level.
If you doubt the abilities of decathletes, here is a chart that lists the world record for each event and the decathlon bests for each event. Decathletes are amazing!
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THE DECATHLON ATHLETIC STANDARD IS HARD TO BEAT
| DECATHLON RECORDS | ||||
| Event | Type | Athlete |
Record (seconds & meters) |
Converted to feet |
| 100 m | World Records | Usain Bolt (JAM) | 9.58 s | |
| Decathlon Best | Damian Warner (CAN) | 10.12 s | ||
| Long jump | World Records | Mike Powell (USA) | 8.95 m | 29.36 |
| Decathlon Best | Ashton Eaton (USA) | 8.23 m | 27.00 | |
| Shot put | World Records | Randy Barnes (USA) | 23.12 m | 75.85 |
| Decathlon Best | Edy Hubacher (SUI) | 19.17 m | 62.89 | |
| High jump | World Records | Javier Sotomayor (CUB) | 2.45 m | 8.03 |
| Decathlon Best | Rolf Beilschmidt (GDR) &
Christian Schenk (GDR) |
2.27 m | 7.44 | |
| 400 m | World Records | Wayde van Niekerk (RSA) | 43.03 s | |
| Decathlon Best | Ashton Eaton (USA) | 45.00 s | 147.64 | |
| 110 m hurdles | World Records | Aries Merritt (USA) | 12.80 s | |
| Decathlon Best | Damian Warner (CAN) | 13.44 s | ||
| Discus throw | World Records | Jürgen Schult (GDR) | 74.08 m | 243.04 |
| Decathlon Best | Bryan Clay (USA) | 55.87 m | 183.30 | |
| Pole vault | World Records | Renaud Lavillenie (FRA) | 6.16 m | 20.20 |
| Decathlon Best | Tim Lobinger (GER) | 5.76 m | 18.89 | |
| Javelin throw | World Records | Jan Železný (CZE) | 98.48 m | 323.10 |
| Decathlon Best | Peter Blank (GER) | 79.80 m | 261.81 | |
| 1500 m | World Records | Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) | 3 m 26.00 s | |
| Decathlon Best | Robert Baker (USA) | 3 m 58.70 s | ||
SPORT DIFFICULTY MATRIX
| SPORT | Athletisicm | Sport Difficulty | Endurance | Speed | Flexibility | Mental Challenge | Training | Skill | Total | Ranking |
| Track & Field Decathlete |
10 |
10 |
9 |
10 |
9 |
10 |
10 |
9 |
77 |
1 |
| Gymnastics |
9 |
9 |
7 |
7 |
10 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
69 |
2 |
| Solo Climbing |
6 |
10 |
10 |
5 |
9 |
10 |
8 |
7 |
65 |
3 |
| Olympic Sprinter |
8 |
10 |
8 |
10 |
7 |
7 |
8 |
7 |
65 |
3 |
What is the hardest sport in the world?
1. Olympic Decathlon 2. Solo Climbing 3. Olympic Level Gymnasts 4. Olympic Level Sprinters 5. Boxing 6. American Football
What is the hardest team sport to play?
1. American Football 2. Premier League Futbol 3. Rugby 4. Water Polo 5. Ice Hockey
What is the most physically demanding sport?
1. Football 2. Cycling 3. MMA 4. Boxing 5. Motocross