No, rock paper scissors is not in the Olympics. It has never been part of any Summer or Winter Games, it is not on any Olympic programme, and it is not recognized by the International Olympic Committee.
Some older articles on the internet, including ones that used to sit at this address, hinted that inclusion was being discussed or petitioned. I have found no evidence of any formal bid, petition or IOC process involving rock paper scissors, so I am stating it plainly: there is none that I can verify. Whether it counts as a sport is a more interesting question, and I cover that below.
Why it is not an Olympic sport
For a sport to get anywhere near the Olympic programme, it first needs an international federation that the IOC recognizes. That federation must govern the sport worldwide, run anti-doping programmes that comply with the World Anti-Doping Code, and show broad participation across many countries. Only after recognition can a sport be proposed for a specific Games, and even then most recognized sports never get on the programme.
Rock paper scissors has none of those pieces:
- No recognized international federation. Organizations have existed, including the World RPS Society in Toronto, which ran world championships until 2009, and the USA Rock Paper Scissors League, which held two televised $50,000 championships in 2006 and 2007. Neither was an IOC-recognized body, and both are now defunct.
- No global competitive structure. There is no worldwide network of national federations, rankings or qualification pathways.
- Nothing to test for. The athletic element is a hand gesture, which makes the usual framework of physical competition a poor fit.
For context, WRPSA is not an Olympic body either, and we have no connection to the IOC. We run free online play and a free tool for hosting your own event.
So is rock paper scissors a game or a sport?
It depends on which definition you use, and the definitions genuinely disagree.
| Definition of a sport | Does RPS qualify? |
|---|---|
| Requires physical exertion and skill | Barely. The movement is trivial. |
| Competitive, rule-governed, with a winner | Yes. |
| Skill affects results over many matches | Partly. Against humans, reading patterns helps; against a perfect randomizer, nothing does. |
| Has organized competition and governing bodies | It had some historically; little today. |
The closest comparison is chess, which is recognized by the IOC through its world federation, FIDE, yet has never been on the Olympic programme. Chess shows that recognition and inclusion are separate steps, and that "mind sports" can be taken seriously without being physical. Rock paper scissors is a long way behind even chess, because a single round contains so much chance.
My own view: rock paper scissors is a game with a real competitive layer. Over a long match, a player who reads opponents well and hides their own habits will beat a careless one more often than not. That is the part people mean when they call it a sport, and it is why you can study strategy and psychology for it at all. But it is not a sport in the sense the Olympics use.
Where the skill in RPS really lies
People who dismiss rock paper scissors as pure luck are right about one round against a perfect randomizer, and wrong about matches between people. Humans are poor at generating randomness. They favour rock, underuse scissors and react to their last result in consistent ways, which our own throw data shows clearly. A published 2014 experiment at Zhejiang University, in which 360 students played 300 rounds each, found that winners and losers changed their throws in patterned, predictable ways.
That means a best-of-many match rewards three things that also define many sports:
- Observation. Spotting an opponent's habit in a few rounds.
- Self-control. Not falling into your own habits under pressure.
- Timing and composure. Throwing cleanly on the count, without tells.
None of that makes it an Olympic candidate. It does explain why competitive RPS has had a following at all.
Where competitive RPS actually happened
The competitive history is real, even if the Olympic story is not:
- World RPS Society championships (Toronto). Held through the 2000s; the last one took place in Toronto in November 2009.
- USA Rock Paper Scissors League. Its 2006 championship at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas was won by Mario Anastasov and shown on A&E; the 2007 championship, won by Michael Federico, aired on ESPN2. Each carried a $50,000 top prize.
Both organizations are gone. Our tournament guide explains how to run a fair bracket yourself, and our history page covers the longer story of the game.
FAQ
Has rock paper scissors ever been in the Olympics?
No. Not as a medal event, a demonstration event or anything else.
Is there a petition to add rock paper scissors to the Olympics?
I could not find any credible, verifiable petition or proposal. Claims that one exists should be treated as unsupported.
Is rock paper scissors recognized as a sport anywhere?
Not by the IOC or any major sports authority that I can verify. It has had its own private leagues and championships, which is a different thing.
Can you compete in rock paper scissors today?
Yes, informally. You can play people online or host a local bracket with friends, a club or a workplace.