Sport Pictures

Football is one of the most popular sports in the United States. However, the sport on the next page is the most popular in the world.

Tens of thousands of soccer fans regularly show up for games played in stadiums on every continent except Antarctica, where they still play but the crowds are rather sparse. Pictured above are professional players David Ferreira, Stefani Miglioranzi and David Beckham. See the oldest American sport next.

Professional baseball dates back to 1869. Major league teams play almost every day from April to October. Next, see the second most popular sport in the United States.

Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls goes for a dunk during the 1988 NBA All Star Slam Dunk Competition. Basketball was invented by a Canadian-born physical education teacher. Next, see one of Canada's two official sports.

Lacrosse was originally created and played by Native Americans in Canada and the United States. It was often used to resolve conflicts, heal the sick and prepare for war. Today the goal is catch, carry and pass the ball into the goal. Canada is most successful at the next sport (its official winter sport).

Ice hockey is most common in countries with cold weather and ice. Fights are usually common and create interest, though technically are prohibited. The rules of ice hockey are based on the sport on the next page.

Modern field hockey developed from the English public school systems, though games using curved sticks date back to Ancient Egypt. See another United Kingdom sport next.

Rugby League and Rugby Union are two types of rugby that were developed in the United Kingdom. The sport uses an oval ball that cannot be passed forward. See the national sport of England on the next page.

Cricket is known as England's national summer sport and dates back to the 16th century. Speaking of summer, the next sport can be played in a bathing suit.

Megumi Kurihara of Japan blocks during the FIVB Women's World Olympic Qualification Tournament match between Japan and South Korea. Volleyball (which can be played on a court or in sand) was created in the late 1800s and was based upon handball and the sport on the next page.

Serena Williams returns a shot during the doubles match at the Rock n' Racquets exhibition. The modern game of tennis developed in the United Kingdom, with the first championships at Wimbledon in 1877. The next sport is one of the most popular in China.

Table tennis developed in England during the Victorian era. Today China dominates most world competitions. The next racquet sport was named after a Duke's house.

Badminton is sport that uses racquets and shuttlecocks. It was named after the Badminton House in Gloucestershire, England, which was owned by the Duke of Beaufort. By some accounts, the next sport was inspired by rabbit holes.

Golfer Matt Kuchar plays a shot during the final round of the 2010 SBS Championship. Some believe that golf began with Scottish shepherds hitting stones into rabbit holes. The next ball sport also requires lots of precision.

Bocce is popular in Europe (especially Italy) and former Yugoslavian countries. It involves trying to throw a bocce ball as close as possible to a jack, or designated marker. Next, see a combat sport.

In boxing, if there isn't a knock out, judges will award points based on scoring punches. The boxer with the most points at the end wins. See another combat sport next that is glamorized on TV.

Pro wrestling involves mock and choreographed combat for entertainment, such as this scene with Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair during the 2009 Hulkamania Tour. More common types of wrestling are Greco-Roman, Freestyle, Grappling, Beach and Sambo. Get off the ground for the next sport.

Swimming has been part of the Olympic Games since it first began. The four main strokes are front crawl, backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke. If you compete in a triathlon, you would have to swim and perform the sport on the next page.

Cycling is an efficient mode of transportation and a competitive sport. The Tour de France road race is one of the most well-known events, with a course length of over 2,000 miles. For one of the oldest racing sports, see the next page.

These runners dressed in Santa Claus suits are about to compete in the Las Vegas Great Santa Run 5k. Over 800 marathons are held throughout the world each year. To learn more, visit the Sports Channel.