Sevens
What is it? A high-intensity, looser version of rugby played by half as many people.
The good: Fast-paced, easier to understand, far fewer scrum resets and vague penalties, keeps DJ Forbes in employment, get to see a lot of teams play in one day.
The bad: Not that great to watch, less tactical than rugby, only suits a certain type of player.
Future: Will only get more important being an Olympic sport and the smaller numbers required to form a team makes it easier for new rugby nations to get together a strong squad. In New Zealand, it is hard to see it ever overtaking the 15-a-side game and the Wellington event has lost much of its appeal.
Twenty20 cricket
What is it? Cricket played in 20 overs.
The good: Plenty of action, all over in a few hours, appeals to people who otherwise would not be cricket fans.
The bad: A lot of luck involved, lacks the mental battle of a longer game, not great for bowlers, does not have the meaning attached to it of the other formats.
Future: Should keep getting bigger as cricket looks to grow its market and players are attracted to it due to the money involved. Test cricket will remain the pinnacle of the game though and traditionalists will ensure it stays relevant.
Nines
What is it? Basically copied the idea of sevens, but chose a different number of players for the league style of the oval-ball game.
The good: More open game, plenty of exciting moments, the NRL event has all its teams in action over the weekend
The bad: Yet to be taken seriously by every club, and does anyone actually care who wins? Is too much like real league.
Future: Probably will remain as a cool pre-season event, but it is hard to see it taking off with rugby league already being a fairly niche sport as it is.
Fast5
What is it? The shortened form of netball with a bunch of different rules to try to make the game more exciting.
The good: Getting more points for longer shots adds a dimension to the game, get to see young talent at the next level.
The bad: Not taken seriously — even by a lot of the players, does not draw most of netball’s top players, pales in significance to the big events of the full-version. And what is it with all that dancing? New sporting low when Irene van Dyk was carted in like Cleopatra a couple of years ago.
Future: Hard to see it ever genuinely catching on for more than a once-a-year tournament. Can probably survive in that format, but it would be hard to develop a genuine circuit like sevens has. Would need to be taken more seriously if it was to look to break into countries where netball is not already played.
3x3 basketball
What is it? A formalised version of pick-up basketball played in the half-court.
The good: Fewer people needed to play, easier to understand structure-wise, good way to develop certain skills, New Zealand has won two under-18 world championships in it.
The bad: Lack of structure, no transition, different-sized balls, will never attract top players beyond age-grade level.
Future: Will continue to thrive in playgrounds and gyms all over the world, but it can be hard to make the distinction between the social game and the competitive one. Basketball itself will only get bigger as it grows around the world, spurred on by the ever-increasing popularity of its biggest showpiece, the NBA, and it does not need an abbreviated format.
Beach volleyball
What is it? Volleyball played on sand with two players on each team.
The good: Players tend to be more well-rounded, a good game to play on a nice day.
The bad: Seems to be as much about showing off athletes’ bodies as playing the game, difficulty in creating a court inside an arena, lacks the team aspect, sand not a great surface to play sport.
Future: Has established itself, for better or worse, although it is hard to see it growing too much beyond what it has.
Futsal
What is it? Indoor football played on the size of a tennis court with five players — including a goalkeeper — on each side.
The good: Fast, players are technically very skilful, more goals than football, played indoors so is not affected by the weather.
The bad: At present has no genuine top level league or competition, does not have close to the same meaning of football.
Future: Will continue to grow and certainly remain popular to play as a social sport. Hard to see it ever getting near football at the competitive level and definitely not in terms of fan numbers and passion.
Team tennis
What is it? Tennis played in mixed-gendered teams, with each set having different requirements in who can play.
The good: Brings a team dynamic to tennis, one of the few sports that allows mixed competition at the top level, has a top-level league.
The bad: Has only really gained traction in the United States, will always be the poor cousin of regular tennis.
Future: Has been around more than 40 years, making it unlikely it will gain any more traction than it already has. Is up against the history, enormous popularity, huge prize money and the extreme significance regular tennis holds, but still attracts several big names.
