A game becomes a sport if: (1) the game is a game of skill, (2) the skill is physical, (3) the game has a wide following, and (4) the following achieves a certain level of stability.
Involving the body and movement, rather than just the mind—like running, throwing, or coordination.
Stability (in this context)(Suggests that for something to count as a sport, its fans and popularity need to stick around, not just be a temporary fad)
The quality of being steady and lasting over time, rather than disappearing or constantly changing.
necessary and sufficient conditions(in philosophical analysis)
A 'necessary' condition is something that must be true for something else to happen; a 'sufficient' condition is something that guarantees it will happen. This phrase describes what must be true (and what's enough) for a definition to apply.
skill(Stanley and Krakauer's characterization)
A capacity that requires instruction (at least initially) or observation of someone else, and whose exercise is under rational control.
Suits draws on his definition of games to provide a definition of sport. He defines sports as ‘games of physical skill’ (Suits, 1988, 2), incorporating the elements of his earlier definition of game and adding further elements that are distinctive to sport as compared to other types of games. In particular, a game becomes a sport by meeting the following criteria: ‘(1) that the game be a game of skill; (2) that the skill be physical; (3) that the game has a wide following; and (4) that the follo