Every sport was once a lesser-known sport. Football, cricket and tennis all started as local games before they found global audiences. GoalZaro's Other Sports category is where the games that do not have a category of their own live: emerging sports, regional favourites and games that are growing fast but have not yet had their mainstream moment.

This guide introduces the sports you will find there, and why each one is worth knowing about.

Kabaddi

Kabaddi is a team tag sport with roots in South Asia, where it has been played for centuries. Two teams of seven face each other on a court. A player called the raider crosses into the opponent's half, tries to tag as many defenders as possible, and must return to their own half in a single breath, chanting "kabaddi" throughout the raid. Defenders try to stop the raider before they get back. Tagged defenders are out, and a successful tackle scores for the defending side.

It is fast, physical and tactical: the raider must judge exactly how deep to go and when to turn, because a moment too long on the wrong side of the line ends the raid. Kabaddi is an established international sport with a World Cup and professional leagues, and it is one of the most popular spectator sports in South Asia.

Padel

Padel is a racket sport that blends tennis and squash. It is played in doubles on an enclosed court about a third of the size of a tennis court, surrounded by glass walls and mesh fencing. The walls are part of the game: after the ball bounces on the court, it can be played off the walls, like in squash.

The scoring is the same as tennis — 15, 30, 40 and game — but the serve is underarm, the rackets are short and solid with no strings, and the smaller court makes rallies long and tactical rather than power-driven. Padel began in Mexico, grew enormously in Spain, and is now one of the fastest-growing racket sports in the world.

Pickleball

Pickleball is a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis. It is played on a court smaller than a tennis court, with a low net, solid paddles and a light perforated plastic ball. It can be played in singles or doubles, and doubles is the more common format.

The game has one famous quirk: the kitchen, a zone near the net where players may not volley the ball from the air. That single rule slows the game down at the net and turns it into a contest of soft shots, placement and patience rather than power. Pickleball started as a backyard game in the United States in the 1960s and has become one of the fastest-growing participation sports in the world, popular across all ages.

Squash

Squash is a racket sport played by two players in an enclosed court. Both players share the same space and take turns hitting a small rubber ball against the front wall, aiming to place it where the opponent cannot reach it. Rallies are fast, the court is small, and fitness matters as much as racket skill.

Matches are played to 11 points under point-a-rally scoring, where every rally scores a point, usually best of five games. Squash has a professional tour with events around the world, and it is known as one of the most physically demanding racket sports.

Why these sports matter

Lesser-known sports grow the same way every sport grows: a few people try it, a league forms, streaming and social media carry it to new audiences, and suddenly a game that was local is international. Padel and pickleball are living through that process right now, with new courts, new tournaments and new professional players appearing every year.

That is why this category exists. The sports here are not afterthoughts — they are the games that might be headlining in a few years, and this is where you can learn them before everyone else does.

How new sports break through

The path is usually the same. A game that was once played in one region gets organised: a federation writes standard rules, a league or tour is formed, and matches start appearing on streaming platforms and social media. Once people can watch it easily, they start playing it, and once they start playing it, clubs and courts follow. Pickleball followed exactly this route from American backyards to a global participation boom, and padel did the same from Mexico and Spain outward. The sports in this category are at different points on that journey, and that is part of the fun of following them: you are watching a sport grow in real time, not just watching its results.

How to follow it

Start with one sport and watch a full match, not just highlights. In kabaddi, watch the raider's footwork at the line. In padel, watch how players use the glass. In pickleball, watch the soft game at the kitchen line. And in squash, watch how players move — the best players seem to glide, because they are always in the right place before the ball arrives. Once you understand one of these games, the rest of the category opens up.