Define Sport

[GoreBag]

They sure do, but my argument stands.

[nokhor]

where i play pickup soccer, no one really keeps track of the score. except newbies. we play primarily for exercise, cameraderie and love of the game. as we often switch players around between the teams in the middle of the game if they are glaringly unbalanced. so i'm not sure a clear cut winner is necessary at least on the recreational level of a game.

[English assassin]

I don't see why having a judge rules something out of being a sport. team games have referres/umpires whose judgement on the rules may change the result of the match, yet any definition that rules football or cricket out of being a sport is obviously too narrow. Once you allow a referee how can you exclude a judge?

I reckon its a sport if its competitive, physical (no chess or card games), raises your heart rate (sorry, no darts or snooker) and isn't for a useful purpose (no digging the garden). Motor racing counts because anyone who thinks its not hard work slinging a car or bike round a track is wrong. Mick Doohan used to have a resting heart rate way down in the low 50s IIRC.

Come to think of it, scratch competitive, because mountaineering is certainly a sport.

[edyzmedieval]

Basketball rulzz, as long as there aren't any fouls and some rules are out....

[GoreBag]

I don't see why having a judge rules something out of being a sport. team games have referres/umpires whose judgement on the rules may change the result of the match, yet any definition that rules football or cricket out of being a sport is obviously too narrow. Once you allow a referee how can you exclude a judge?

Because it takes the goal of winning out of the athlete's hands. A referee or umpire is, in most cases, a necessity to keep everyone within the rules, judge whether or not the puck crossed the goal line, and keep track of other things considered objective. A judge, like from gymnastic competitions or figure skating, is not the same kind of figure.