4. Lacrosse
Lacrosse is yet another game that has a large international following but little to no recognition by the IOC, who last sanctioned the game as a demonstration sport at the London games in 1948, before which it had been a demonstration sport on two other occasions following its inclusion in the regular programme in 1904 and 1908. Native American in origin, the game is predominantly popular in America and Canada, but its stature is rising in other parts of the world, with twenty six countries classified as emerging by the International Lacrosse Federation, ranging from the likes of Indonesia and Iran to Brazil and Jamaica. Intense and often brutal, the games simple premise would be readily understood and enjoyed by Olympic spectators, whose choice of outdoor team sports is currently limited to just football and field hockey.