And even billiards and sport fishing were included in the rating
Which the most difficult sport? This question is probably asked by everyone who has dealt with at least one of them. And the disputes seem endless. But it seems that even if these conversations have not been put to rest, a serious attempt has been made to understand them. ESPN experts have compiled their ranking of sports by difficulty. More precisely, according to the level of necessary skills for success in each of them.
The experts, who included U.S. Olympic Committee scientists, exercise science professors, an unnamed two-sport star athlete, and journalists, rated the difficulty of each sport based on 10 criteria, from which they came up with a total that indicates on the number of cumulative skills required for success in it. These are the criteria:
- ENDURANCE. The ability to continue performing a skill or activity for an extended period of time. Example: cycling
- FORCE: Ability to remain at maximum power levels for extended periods of time. Example: Linemen in the NFL
- EXPLOSION. The ability to develop maximum strength in the shortest possible time. Example: Outfielders in Baseball
- SPEED. Ability to move quickly. Example: sprinters in athletics
- AGILITY. ability to quickly change direction. Example of shortstops in baseball
- FLEXIBILITY. ability to be flexible over a wide range of motion. Example: gymnasts, divers
- NERVE. The ability to overcome fear. Example: racing drivers, ski jumpers.
- ENDURANCE. Ability to withstand physical activity for long periods of time. Example: NBA/NHL players
- COORDINATION. Ability to respond quickly to sensory perception. Example: a striker reacts to the ball, a drag racer calculates acceleration at the green light.
- ANALYTICS. Ability to assess strategic situations and respond appropriately. Example: point guards in basketball, quarterbacks in the NFL.
A total of 60 sports were analyzed, including, for example, billiards and sport fishing.
Based on the results of summing up the scores in each discipline, boxing took first place, hockey took second, and American football took third. One of the most popular sports in the world – football – rounded out the TOP 10. The sport that required the least amount of skill was sport fishing. Just above it are billiards, shooting and bowling. And yes, volleyball took 20th place, rugby – 13th.
Source: Sportarena
I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
