sportdisciplines

Sport disciplines refer to the distinct branches or subcategories within a sport that have their own rules, equipment, and competition formats. The term is often used in governance and scheduling to organize events in multi-sport competitions and to describe specialization paths for athletes. In many systems, a sport comprises multiple disciplines; each discipline can have further events or categories and may be governed by its own international federation under the umbrella of a sport.

For example, in athletics the disciplines include sprints, middle-distance, long-distance running and field events such as jumps and throws. In aquatics, disciplines include swimming, diving, synchronized swimming (artistic swimming), water polo, and open water swimming. In cycling, disciplines include road, track, mountain biking, and BMX. In gymnastics, disciplines include artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, and trampoline. In martial arts and combat sports, disciplines such as judo, taekwondo, and karate are often treated as separate disciplines within the broader sporting family.

Disciplines can be categorized by competition format (timed, judged, or scored), by playing surface or equipment (court, pool, track), or by whether events are contested individually or as teams. They influence training specialization, national governance, and Olympic or world championship programming. Overall, sport disciplines provide a framework for organizing competition while allowing diversity in sport technique and culture.