ABSTRACT
Team contact sports, like rugby union and rugby league, American football, Australian rules football, ice hockey, and perhaps Gaelic football and soccer are all characterised by a high degree of aggression and physical, often violent, contact. In this sense, they are different from other team games such as basketball, netball, field hockey, and volleyball (in theory non-contact games). In studying the motivation behind, and the emotion involved in, participation in team contact sports, there is a need to address the fact that much of the pleasure and satisfaction to be gained from these sports is associated with the element of physical contact. No one who has ever sacked a quarterback in American football, brought off a punishing crash tackle in rugby or a powerful body check in ice hockey, or fought for a 50–50 ball in soccer could deny the tremendous feelings of pleasure and satisfaction that arise from carrying out these skills successfully. These physical and violent plays are an intrinsic part of each of these sports and are a major reason why many people enjoy them.
