This is the first book to offer a comprehensive, critical analysis of the relationship between sport and anthropology. It introduces the reader to the distinct ways that anthropologists consider and research sport, and argues that its central object of enquiry - humanity - leads to very different questions about sport from those posed by sociology, political science or other disciplines. It draws on unusual sporting examples, including darts, cockfighting and buzkahi, to convey to the reader the full array of sporting practices as well as the complex factors behind the emergence of sport, opening up fascinating perspectives for any student or researcher working in sport or anthropology.