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What sports were played in Shakespeare times?

Popular sports in Shakespeare's time included:

- Archery: a popular pastime among the nobility and commoners alike, and was often used for hunting and target practice.

- Bear-baiting: a blood sport involving setting dogs on a chained bear.

- Bowling

- Boxing

- Cockfighting: where two roosters were set to fight

- Dancing

- Falconry: training and hunting birds of prey.

- Football: not the modern version, but a game where a ball was kicked as far as possible, or between goals.

- Horse racing: a popular spectator sport among the upper classes.

- Hunting: a popular pastime among the nobility, involving the pursuit and capture of animals such as deer, boar, and rabbits.

- Lawn bowling: a game similar to modern bowling, but played on a lawn.

- Quoits: a game involving throwing discs at a target pin or peg.

- Skittles: a game similar to modern bowling, but with nine pins set up in a diamond formation.

- Swimming

- Tennis: not the modern version, but a game played with hand-held rackets and a ball.

- Wrestling: a form of combat between two opponents, often practiced for self-defense or as a sport.

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