List of professional sports leagues explained

This is a list of professional sports leagues.

A sports league is a professional body that governs the competition of its teams. They make the rules for competition and behavior and disciplines its members as necessary. This is done through a structure that varies by league. Some are made up of a board of governors that have a commissioner or president, while others are single entity organizations where the league owns the franchises and therefore does not have a board of governors.

This list attempts to show those sports leagues for which all players and teams are paid to play. In other words, these players can be considered to play their chosen sport as their profession. Some leagues do not pay well enough to allow players to use them as their primary or only source of income, but because the players are paid, it is still considered professional, or semi-professional. As such, some leagues listed here may not be fully professional.

Auto racing

Badminton

Bandy

Baseball

See also: List of organized baseball leagues, Professional baseball and Baseball awards.

Northern Hemisphere Summer

Americas

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Asia-Pacific

Taiwan

Europe

Northern Hemisphere Winter

Americas

Asia-Pacific

, and

, and

Basketball

See main article: article and List of basketball leagues.

Bowling

Boxing

Major promotions

Major sanctioning bodies

Bull riding

Chess

Cricket

Africa

North America

Canada

United States

West Indies

Asia

Europe

Oceania

Curling

Cycling

Competitive eating

See main article: article, Geography of association football, Geography of women's association football and Professionalism in association football.

See also: List of association football competitions.

Asia

Europe

Oceania

International

See also: List of American and Canadian football leagues. Includes American and Canadian Football and their variants.

Americas

Europe

Asia

Oceania

See also: List of rugby league competitions.

Americas

Europe

See also: British rugby league system and French rugby league system.

Oceania

Football: Rugby union

See also: List of rugby union competitions.

Intercontinental

Africa

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Europe

Pro clubs in an amateur league

Field hockey

Asia

Hockey India League

Malaysia Hockey League

Pakistan Hockey League

Europe

Men's Hoofdklasse Hockey

Feldhockey Bundesliga (Men's field hockey)

Men's Belgian Hockey League

Australia

Hockey One

Golf

See main article: Professional golf tours.

Men's

Top-level tours

Senior tours

Developmental tours

Women's

Top-level tours

Senior tours

Developmental tours

Handball

Ice hockey

See also: List of ice hockey leagues.

North America

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only

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Asia

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Europe

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Oceania

Indoor hockey

Inline hockey

Roller hockey (quad)/Rink hockey

Kabaddi

International Tournaments

Kabaddi Leagues

Kickboxing

Korfball

Lacrosse

Box / Indoor lacrosse

and

Field lacrosse

Mixed martial arts

Motorcycle racing

Netball

Pesäpallo

Shooting

Speedway

Professional wrestling

See also: List of professional wrestling promotions.

United States
Japan
Mexico
Australia

Racquetball

Roll Ball

Snooker

Softball

Table tennis

Tennis

Asia

Track and field

Ultimate

Asia

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Southeast Asia

Multiple regions

Volleyball

Water polo

See main article: Geography of water polo.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Super Boxing League to be organised in association with WBC, PBOI . India.com . 2017-06-05 . 2017-06-23.
  2. Web site: The official website of AFL Asia . 2022-04-02 . AFL-asia.com.
  3. Web site: The official website of AFL Europe . 2022-04-02 . AFLeurope.org.
  4. Web site: The official website of the Australian Football League . 2017-06-23 . AFL.com.au.
  5. Web site: The official website of the Women's Australian Football League . 2022-04-02 . womens.AFL.
  6. Web site: The official website of the South Australian National Football League . 2022-04-02 . SANFL.com.au.
  7. Web site: The official website of the Australian Football League . 2022-04-02 . AFL.com.au.
  8. Web site: The official website of the West Australian Football League . 2022-04-02 . WAFL.com.au/.
  9. Web site: The official website of the Australian Football League . 2022-04-02 . AFL.com.au.
  10. Web site: Official Site of the National Football League . National Football League . 2017-06-23.
  11. Web site: Merk . Carson A. . Arena Football Home Page . Arenafootball.com . 2017-06-23.
  12. Web site: CFL.ca - Official site of the Canadian Football League . https://web.archive.org/web/19961122225353/http://www.cfl.ca/ . 1996-11-22 . live .
  13. Web site: From youth to pro, American football has taken root in Mexico . Josh . Weinfuss . ESPN . 17 November 2016 . 3 December 2016 . The Liga de Futbol Americano Profesional, based in Mexico City, concluded its first season in April, and reports said attendance exceeded 5,000 fans per game for the inaugural four-team campaign..
  14. Web site: Soldiers share football skills with German semi-pro team. United States Army. Wendy. Brown. 17 July 2012. 22 January 2013.
  15. Web site: AMERICAN FOOTBALL IN INDIA: ELITE FOOTBALL LEAGUE OF INDIA. Bleacher Report.
  16. Web site: Xリーグ 公式サイト . Xleague.com . 2017-06-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090613040207/http://www.xleague.com/ . 13 June 2009 . dead .
  17. Web site: Main Page - AFLwiki . 2013-01-07 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130518031745/http://www.americanfencingleague.org/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page . 18 May 2013.
  18. Web site: LET Access Series - Home Page . Letaccess.com . 2017-06-23.
  19. Web site: Road Fc . Roadfc.com . 2017-06-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150706052859/http://www.roadfc.com/ . 6 July 2015 . dead .
  20. Web site: Top Fighting Championship . 2013-12-15 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131228130921/http://www.top-fc.co.kr/ . 28 December 2013.
  21. Web site: Enter Super Fight League - Experience Top MMA Fights. Super Fight League. Superfightleague.com.
  22. Web site: News, Results, Photos & Video - Official Site . WWE . 2017-06-23.
  23. Web site: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Homepage. Impactwrestling.com. 2017-06-23.
  24. News: Ultimate Table Tennis raises hope for paddlers . . 2017-06-10 . 2017-06-23.
  25. Web site: IAAF Diamond League . 2015-05-16 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141219074619/http://www.diamondleague.com/ . 19 December 2014.
  26. Web site: Iesl.in. https://web.archive.org/web/20150405000011/http://iesl.in/2014_blr/main_event.html. 5 April 2015.
  27. Web site: India is getting its first major esports league. Ghoshal. Abhimanyu . 19 January 2017. The Next Web.