149 fun sports terms in Italian to help you kick language goals

Imagine you’re touring Italy with a bunch of friends. You’re visiting one of its thousand beautiful beaches, you want to have a great time and to meet new people.

By chance, you and your buddies see some girls playing volleyball – you immediately want to join them, to play with them, but you don’t speak a word of Italian and you get lost in the panic.

The solution? You can learn to gesticulate like real Italians do! Or you can just learn how to talk about sports in Italian.

The second option is a more practical way to communicate without language barriers. So we’ll teach you how to say “volleyball” in Italian - as well as many other sports. At the end of this comprehensive guide, you’ll be confident talking about exercise, sports, games, and recreation in Italian - as well as have far more opportunities to make new friends!

How do you say sports in Italian?

It's easier than you may think. In fact, you don’t even have to translate it! In Italy, we say “sport”, too - just without the final “-s”.

There is indeed no difference between the singular and the plural form - like for all the other foreign words we imported into our language. How original, right?

Well, the first step is done.

How to talk about sports in Italian

Talking about sports is an easy way to start a conversation with pretty much anyone. Here are some key expressions that will help you chat about sports in Italian in a fluent and simple way:

Fai qualche sport?

Tranlsation: “Do you do any sport?”
This will help you get in touch with people and learn about their hobbies and interests!

Ti piace il calcio?

Translation: “Do you like football?”.
You can actually change “calcio” with whichever sport you prefer. Use this expression to find out if you and your new Italian friend share a passion for the same sport!

Facciamo una partita?

Translation: “Do you want to play a match?”
Be honest – is there any better way to socialize than by sharing a moment of play together? 

Sport-related verbs

The great thing about these verbs is that they can apply to pretty much all of the sports you can think of.

Wait! Who said Italians are lazy?

English	Italian	IPA	Pronunciation
To play	Giocare	d͡ʒokˈare	Joh-cah-re
To do sports	Fare sport	fˈare spˈɔrt	Fah-reh Sport
To practice	Allenarsi	allenˈarsɪ	Ahl-leh-nahr-see
To win	Vincere	vˈint͡ʃere	Veen-cheh-reh
To tie	Pareggiare	pared͡ʒːˈare	Pah-reh-jah-re
To lose	Perdere	pˈɛrdere	Pehr-deh-reh
To pass	Passare	pas͡sˈare	Pah-sah-reh
To shoot	Tirare	tirˈare	Tee-rah-reh
To beat	Battere	bˈatːere	Bat-teh-reh
To dribble	Dribblare	dribːlˈare	Dree-bla-reh
To dunk	Schiacciare	skjat͡ʃːˈare	Ski-ah-cha-reh

List of sports and games in Italian

At this point, you will definitely want to know how to say soccer in Italian. Or “basketball”. Or any other sport. So here’s a little help.

Outdoor sports in Italian

These are outdoor sports - or “sport all’aperto” in Italian. Yet, nobody forbids you to play them indoors! Clearly, it will be difficult in some cases - unless you live right into San Siro stadium!

English	Italian	IPA	Pronunciation
Soccer	Calcio	kˈalt͡ʃo	Kahl-choh
American football	Football Americano	fˈʊtbɔːl amerikˈano	(Football) Ah-meh-ree-kah-noh
Outdoor basketball	Pallacanestro all’aperto	pallakanˈɛstro ˈal’apˈɛrto	Pahl-lah-kah-neh-stroh
Baseball	Baseball	bˈe͡ɪzboːl	(Baseball)
Golf	Golf	ɡˈɔlf	(Golf)
Road cycling	Ciclismo su strada	t͡ʃiklˈizmo sˈu strˈada	Chee-clee-smoh
Tennis	Tennis	tˈɛnnis	(Tennis)
Hiking	Escursionismo	eskʊrsjonˈizmo	Ehz-coor-see-oh-nee-smoh
Mountain biking	Ciclismo di montagna	t͡ʃiklˈizmo dˈi montˈaɲɲa	Chee-clee-smoh dee mohn-tah-nee-ah
Badminton	Badminton	bˈædmɪntən	(Badminton)
Archery	Tiro con l’arco	tˈiro kˈon ˈɛlle’ˈarko	Tee-roh con lahr-coh
Snowboarding	Snowboard	znowboˈard	(Snowboard)
Frisbee	Frisbee	fɹˈɪsbiː	(Frisbee)
Horse riding	Equitazione	ekwitat͡siˈone	Eh-quee-tah-see-oh-neh
Rugby	Rugby	ɹˈʌɡbi	(Rugby)
Cricket	Cricket	krˈikːet	(Cricket)
Mountain climbing	Alpinismo	alpinˈizmo	Ahl-pee-nee-smoh
Skiing	Sci	ʃˈi	Shee
Beach volley	Beach volley	bˈiːt͡ʃ vˈɑːli	(Beach volley)
Volleyball	Pallavolo	pallavˈolo	Pahl-lah-voh-loh
Australian football	Football australiano	fˈʊtbɔːl aʊstraliˈano	(Football) ah-oo-strah-lee-ah-noh
Disc golf	Disc golf	dˈisk ɡˈɔlf	(Disc golf)
Paragliding	Parapendio	paɾapendˈio	Pah-rah-pehn-dee-oh
Beach tennis	Tennis da spiaggia	tˈɛnnis dˈa spjˈad͡ʒːa	(Tennis) dah spee-ahj-jah
Paddle tennis	Paddle tennis	pˈædə͡l tˈɛnnis	(Paddle tennis)
Padel	Padel	pˈadel	Pah-dehl
Platform tennis	Platform tennis	plˈætfɔː͡ɹm tˈɛnnis	(Platform tennis)
Football tennis	Calcio-tennis	kˈalt͡ʃo tˈɛnnis	Kahl-choh (tennis)
Footvolley	Footvolley	fˈʊtvɑːli	(Footvolley)
Pickleball	Pickleball	pˈɪklɪbˌɔːl	(Pickleball)
Netball	Netball	nˈɛtbɔːl	(Netball)
Softball	Softball	sˈɔftbɔːl	(Softball)
Streetball	Streetball	stɹˈiːtbɔːl	(Streetball)
Car races	Corse d’auto	kˈorse d̪ˈiː’ˈaʊto	Kohr-seh dah-oo-toh
Quidditch	Quidditch	kwˈɪdɪt͡ʃ	(Quidditch)
Ice climbing	Arrampicata sul ghiaccio	arɾampikˈata sˈul ɡjˈat͡ʃːo	Ahr-rahm-pee-kah-tah sool ghee-ah-choh
Mixed climbing	Arrampicata mista	arɾampikˈata mˈista	Ahr-rahm-pee-kah-tah mee-stah
Speed climbing	Arrampicata di velocità	arɾampikˈata dˈi velot͡ʃitˈa	Ahr-rahm-pee-kah-tah dee veh-loh-chee-tah
Canyoning	Torrentismo	torɾentˈizmo	Tohr-rehn-tee-smoh
Coasteering	Coasteering	ko͡ʊstˈɪɹɪŋ	(Coasteering)
Rope climbing	Arrampicata su corda	arɾampikˈata sˈu kˈɔrda	Ahr-rahm-pee-kah-tah soo kohr-dah
Pole climbing	Arrampicata su palo	arɾampikˈata sˈu pˈalo	Ahr-rahm-pee-kah-tah soo pah-loh
Calisthenics	Calistenia	kalistˈenia	Kah-lee-steh-nee-ah
BMX	BMX	bˌiˌɛmmeˈiks	Bee-ehm-meh-eecs
Miniature golf	Minigolf	miniɡˈɔlf	(Mini golf)
Rodeo	Rodeo	rodˈɛo	Roh-deh-oh
Horse racing	Ippica	ˈipːika	E-ppee-kah
Polo	Polo	pˈɔlo	Poh-loh
Fishing	Pesca	pˈɛska	Peh-scah
Gaelic football	Calcio gaelico	kˈalt͡ʃo ɡaˈɛliko	Kahl-choh gah-eh-lee-koh
Parkour	Parkour	parkˈur	(Parkour)

Water sports in Italian

Are you a real lupo di mare (“sea wolf” in Italian) or just a water sports lover? If the answer is yes, then these words will definitely help you share your passions with Italian people!

English	Italian	IPA	Pronunciation
Swimming	Nuoto	nʊˈɔto	Noo-oh-toh
Freestyle	Stile libero	stˈile lˈibero	Stee-leh lee-beh-roh
Backstroke	Dorso	dˈɔrso	Dohr-soh
Butterfly	Farfalla	farfˈalla	Fahr-fahl-lah
Breaststroke	Rana	rˈana	Rah-nah
Diving	Immersione	immersjˈone	E-mmehr-see-oh-neh
Water polo	Pallanuoto	pallanʊˈɔto	Pahl-lah-noo-oh-toh
Synchronised swimming	Nuoto sincronizzato	nʊˈɔto sinkronid͡zːˈato	Noo-oh-toh seen-kroh-neez-zah-toh
Surfing	Surf	sˈɜːf	(Surf)
Wakeboarding	Wakeboard	wˈe͡ɪkboː͡ɹd	(Wakeboard)
Waterskiing	Sci d’acqua	ʃˈi dˈakːwa	Shee dah-quah
Kayaking	Kayak	kˈa͡ɪæk	(Kayak)
Boating	Canottaggio	kanotːˈad͡ʒːo	Kah-noht-tahj-joh
Windsurfing	Windsurf	wˈɪndsɜːf	(Windsurf)

Indoor sports in Italian

Indoor sports are the best in wintertime. In Italy, we call them “sport al chiuso”. The most widespread is definitely “calcetto” (futsal), which we also play outdoors in summer. It shows how much we generally love soccer!

English	Italian	IPA	Pronunciation
Indoor soccer	Indoor soccer	ˈɪndoː͡ɹ sˈɑːkɚ	(Indoor soccer)
Ice-skating	Pattinaggio sul ghiaccio	patːinˈad͡ʒːo sˈul ɡjˈat͡ʃːo	Paht-tee-nahj-joh sool ghee-ah-choh
Squash	Squash	skwˈɑːʃ	(Squash)
Pilates	Pilates	pilˈates	Pee-lah-tehs
Yoga	Yoga	jˈɔɡa	Yoh-gah
Table tennis	Tennis da tavolo	tˈɛnnis dˈa tˈavolo	(Tennis) dah tah-voh-loh
Indoor cycling	Ciclismo al chiuso	t͡ʃiklˈizmo ˈal kjˈuzo	Chee-clee-smoh ahl kee-oo-soh
Wrestling	Wrestling	ɹˈɛsə͡lɪŋ	(Wrestling)
Gymnastics	Ginnastica	d͡ʒinnˈastika	Jeen-nah-stee-kah
Darts	Freccette	fret͡ʃːˈetːe	Freh-cheht-teh
Karate	Karate	kaɾatˈe	Kah-rah-teh
Fencing	Scherma	skˈerma	Skehr-mah
Futsal	Calcetto	kalt͡ʃˈɛtːo	Kahl-cheht-toh
Hockey	Hockey	ˈokːe͡ɪ	(Hockey)
Judo	Judo	d͡ʒˈudo	Joo-doh
Taekwondo	Taekwondo	taekwˈondo	Tah-eh-kwohn-doh
Handball	Pallamano	pallamˈano	Pahl-lah-mah-noh
Boxing	Pugilato	pʊd͡ʒilˈato	Poo-geeh-lah-toh
Kickboxing	Kickboxing	kˈɪkbɑːksɪŋ	(Kickboxing)
Mixed martial arts	Arti marziali miste	ˈartɪ mart͡sjˈalɪ mˈiste	Ahr-tee mahr-zee-ah-lee mee-steh
Teqball	Teqball	tˈɛkbɔːl	(Teqball)
Pool	Biliardo	biliˈardo	Bee-lee-ahr-doh
Basketball	Pallacanestro	pallakanˈɛstro	Pahl-lah-kah-neh-stroh
Wheelchair basketball	Pallacanestro in carrozzina	pallakanˈɛstro ˈiːn karɾot͡sːˈina	Pahl-lah-kah-neh-stroh ee-nkahr-rohz-zeenah
Dodgeball	Dodgeball	dˈɑːd͡ʒbɔːl	(Dodgeball)
Prison ball	Palla prigioniera	pˈalla prid͡ʒoniˈɛra	Pahl-lah pree-joh-nee-eh-rah
Mongolian wrestling	Wrestling mongolo	ɹˈɛsə͡lɪŋ mˈoŋɡolo	(Wrestling) mohn-goh-loh
Sumo	Sumo	sˈumo	Soo-moh
Capoeira	Capoeira	kapoeˈira	Kah-poh-eh-ee-rah
Kung Fu	Kung Fu	kˈuŋɡ fˈu	Koong foo
Muay Thai	Muay Thai	mʊˈai tˈaj	Moo-ah-ee tah-ee
Krav Maga	Krav Maga	krˈav mˈaɡa	Krahv Mah-gah
Jujutsu	Jujitsu	d͡ʒʊjˈitsʊ	Joo-jeet-soo
8-ball pool	Palla 8	pˈalla 8	Pahl-lah oht-toh
Acrobatic gymnastics	Ginnastica acrobatica	d͡ʒinnˈastika akrobˈatika	Jeen-nah-stee-kah ah-kroh-bah-tee-kah
Rhythmic gymnastics	Ginnastica ritmica	d͡ʒinnˈastika rˈitmika	Jeen-nah-stee-kah reet-mee-kah
Parallel bars	Parallele simmetriche	paɾallˈɛle simmˈɛtrike	Pah-rahl-leh-leh seem-meh-tree-keh
Juggling	Giocoleria	d͡ʒokolerˈia	Joh-koh-leh-ree-ah

Other games in Italian

It’s not just about sports. You can find joy in so many other areas related to games and strategy. Here are some words that will help you talk about your hobbies, activities, and passions in Italian!

English	Italian	IPA	Pronunciation
Chess	Scacchi	skˈakːɪ	Skahk-keeh
Poker	Poker	pˈo͡ʊkɚ	(Poker)
Dominos	Domino	dˈɑːmɪnˌo͡ʊ	(Domino)
Board games	Giochi da tavolo	d͡ʒˈɔkɪ dˈa tˈavolo	Joh-kee dah tah-voh-loh
Videogames	Videogiochi	videod͡ʒˈɔkɪ	Vee-deh-oh-joh-kee
Checkers	Dama	dˈama	Dah-mah
Tic-tac-toe	Tris	trˈis	Trees
Hide and seek	Nascondino	naskondˈino	Nah-skohn-dee-noh
Kite	Aquilone	akwilˈone	Ah-quee-loh-neh
Puzzle	Puzzle	pˈat͡sol	(Puzzle)
Playing an instrument	Suonare uno strumento	sʊonˈare ˈuno strʊmˈento	Soo-oh-nah-reh oo-noh stroo-mehn-toh
Jump rope	Saltare la corda	saltˈare lˈa kˈɔrda	Sahl-tah-reh lah kohr-dah
Hopscotch	Campana	kampˈana	Kahm-pah-nah

Sports-related vocab in Italian

Last but not least - some words that will help you master your sports and exercise terminology in Italian!

English	Italian	IPA	Pronunciation
Athlete	Atleta	atlˈɛta	Ah-tleh-tah
Team	Squadra	skwˈadra	Squah-drah
Coach	Allenatore	allenatˈore	Ahl-leh-nah-toh-reh
Field	Campo	kˈampo	Kahm-poh
Rink	Pista	pˈista	Pee-stah
Pool	Piscina	piʃˈina	Pee-shee-nah
Court	Campo da tennis	kˈampo dˈa tˈɛnnis	Kahm-poh dah (tennis)
Doubles	Doppio	dˈopːio	Dohp-pee-oh
Sports venue	Impianto sportivo	impjˈanto sportˈivo	E-mpee-ahn-toh spohr-tee-voh
Sports equipment	Attrezzatura sportiva	atːret͡sːatˈura sportˈiva	Aht-trehz-zah-too-rah spohr-tee-vah
Arena	Arena	arˈena	Ah-reh-nah
Track	Percorso	perkˈorso	Pehr-cohr-soh
Goalkeeper	Portiere	portiˈɛre	Pohr-tee-eh-reh
Player	Giocatore	d͡ʒokatˈore	Joh-kah-toh-reh
Defender	Difensore	difensˈore	Dee-fehn-soh-reh
Midfielder	Centrocampista	t͡ʃentrokampˈista	Chehn-troh-kahm-pee-stah
Striker	Attaccante	atːakːˈante	Aht-tahk-kahn-teh
Opponent	Avversario	avversˈario	Ahv-vehr-sah-ree-oh
Gym	Palestra	palˈɛstra	Pah-leh-strah
Weights	Pesi	pˈezɪ	Peh-zee
Derby	Derby	dˈɛrbɪ	Dehr-bee
Olympics	Olimpiadi	olimpˈiadɪ	Oh-leem-pee-ah-dee

Example conversations in Italian

Want to make small talk about sports, but still don’t know where to start? Here are three simple conversations in Italian to get inspired!

Example 1:

	Italian	English
Beatrice:	Lucia, ti va di giocare a tennis domani?	Lucia, would you like to play tennis tomorrow?
Lucia:	Certo! Ho solo bisogno di comprare l’attrezzatura.	Of course! I just have to buy the equipment.
Beatrice:	Non preoccuparti, te la presto io!	Don’t worry, I’ll lend it to you!
Lucia:	Perfetto, grazie mille!	Perfect, thank you very much!

Example 2:

	Italian	English
Marco:	Qual è il tuo sport preferito, Federica?	What’s your favorite sport, Federica?
Federica:	Amo la pallavolo… ci gioco da quando ero bambina! Ed il tuo?	I love volleyball… I’ve been playing it since I was a child! What’s yours?
Marco:	Non ne ho uno preferito, ma mi piace molto la pallacanestro!	I don’t have a favorite one, but I really like basketball!

Example 3:

	Italian	English
Claudio:	Hai visto la partita ieri, Eleonora?	Have you seen the match yesterday, Eleonora?
Eleonora:	No, mi sono dimenticata! Chi giocava?	No, I forgot! Who was playing?
Claudio:	Milan e Inter. Ti sei dimenticata del derby!	Milan and Inter. You forgot about the derby!

Example conversations whilst playing sports

Well, once you start to play a match of basketball with your new Italian friends, you’ll want to look like you know what you’re doing. And not knowing how to communicate with your teammates may not be your greatest shot. So trying practising examples of conversations in Italian whilst playing sports. We’ve provided a couple of scenarios below.

Example 1:

	Italian	English
Matteo:	Passamela!	Pass it to me!
Emanuele:	Non posso, sei marcato!	I can’t, you’re being marked!

Example 2:

	Italian	English
Martina:	Ragazze, posso tirare io il rigore?	Girls, can I take the penalty?
Giulia:	Sei sicura? Questa è la nostra ultima occasione per arrivare in finale.	Are you sure? This is our last occasion to qualify for the final.
Martina:	Si! Fidatevi di me.	Yes! Trust me.

Example 3:

	Italian	English
Filippo:	Ragazzi, non possiamo perdere ancora! Dobbiamo impegnarci di più!	Guys, we can’t lose again! We have to try harder!
Mario:	Stiamo facendo del nostro meglio, ma sono troppo forti per noi.	We’re doing our best, but they’re too strong for us.
Filippo:	Niente scuse. Andiamo a prenderci quei tre punti!	No excuses. Let’s go take those three points!

Most popular sports in different Italian-speaking countries

When it comes to picking a favorite sport, Italians won’t seem very imaginative. Ask them about their favorite sport and half of them will answer soccer. You just can’t separate us from calcio - it’s the most beloved and widespread sport in our country! We usually say it’s our “first love”.

In Italy, you pick a favorite club when you’re a child, and you never leave it for your whole life! This will be no different in other Italian-speaking countries like San Marino or Switzerland, or countries with large groups of people of Italian descent, like Brazil and Argentina: everyone loves soccer!

Some tips for great sports experiences in Italy

When visiting a new country, getting in touch with the local culture is a fundamental part of the experience - every traveler knows it! Whether you’re a sports enthusiast or not, there are some great experiences you won’t want to miss for a great stay in the Bel Paese.

Here are some tips for amazing sport activities in Italy:

1. Join the youngsters for a soccer match at Italy’s thousand old oratorios

An “oratorio” is a very typical place in Italian culture. It usually consists of some small futsal or soccer fields made of concrete or grass, owned by the local church. Pretty much every town or city has at least one!

Here you can join youngsters for an old-school, fun, and authentic soccer experience. Just remember one rule of thumb: who owns the ball, makes the rules!

2. Enjoy Calcio Fiorentino, Italy’s most crazy and violent sport

Every year, in the third week of June, the city of Florence gets ready for one of its most ancient and beloved traditions: Calcio Fiorentino. Calcio Fiorentino literally translates to “Florentine soccer”, but if you expect to see a common soccer match, you’re definitely out of the way!

In this old and crazy sport, players from four teams - one for each of Florence’s historic boroughs - will try by any means necessary to get the ball into the opponent’s goal, including being violent against each other. Don’t worry though, a referee will be there to calm down the players when fights occur!

In the past, the winning team used to receive a Chianina, a pure-bred cow. Nowadays, the price has been reduced to a free dinner for the 27 winning players.

3. Discover Italy’s “Path of the Gods”

Italy is run through by two major mountain ranges: the Alps in the north, and the Apennines in the center-south. They both include fantastic places to go hiking!

One of the best picks is Via degli Dei (Path of the Gods), a 130 km (80 miles) path that runs from old and lovely Bologna to the city of Florence. You can walk between the two historic towns on amazing roads in nature, and stop at the numerous old inns along the way!

One last, important thing…

Italians are warm-hearted and welcoming people. Don’t be shy to approach us with a hello in Italian, even if you don’t feel comfortable with the language – we’ll appreciate your effort and surely find a way to understand each other!

Are you ready for fun and authentic sport experiences in the ‘boot’-country?  If you’re excited to kick more language learning goals, continue the fun for free, on our Italian blog vocabulary lessons.