National Sports Injury Data

The highlighted group that dodge-ball fits in contains dozens of other sports MUCH more dangerous than dodgeball. That notwithstanding, the entire group still represents only 4.3% of the visits. Look at basketball, a game that only 5 players per side play at a time that causes more than 17% of all visits.

Note that the injuries are in thousands.

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Average annual injury visits to hospital emergency departments by persons between 5 and 24 years of age by type of activity performed when injury occurred: United States, 1997-98

 

Number of visits in thousands

Percent of visits in thousands

 Percent of sports-related injury visits
All injury visits

11,904  

100.0  

---  
  All sport-related
   activities1

2,616  

22.0  

100.0  
--Group sport

1,170  

9.8  

44.7  
    Basketball

447  

3.8  

17.1  
   Football 271   2.3   10.3  
    Baseball/softball

245  

2.1  

9.4  
    Soccer

95  

0.8  

3.6  
    Other group
    sport2

112  

0.9  

4.3  
--Individual sport

1,446  

12.2  

55.3  
    Pedal cycling

421  

3.5  

16.1  

    Ice- or roller
    skating/boarding

150  

1.3  

5.7  
    Gymnastics/
    cheerleading

146  

1.2  

5.6  
    Playground

137  

1.2  

5.2  
    Snow sport

111  

0.9  

4.2  
    Water sport

100  

0.8  

3.8  
    Exercising/track

94  

0.8  

3.6  
    Combative

61  

0.5  

2.3  
    Recreational

50  

0.4  

1.9  
    Other sport3

178  

1.5  

6.8  
  Nonsport
  activities4

7,947  

66.8  

---  
Visits without a
specified cause5

1,340  

11.3  

---  

1Includes all visits with a cause indicating an organized or unorganized sport, game or recreational activity.
2Includes other group sports such as volleyball, hockey, and lacrosse.
3Includes all other categories such as games, all terrain vehicles, and unspecified sport/recreational activities.
4Includes all visits with a specified activity not categorized under sports. This includes transport, household, personal, work, or maintenance activities. It also includes visits for any injuries caused by intentional behavior.
5Includes any visits for which no cause was listed or the entry stated unknown causes.

SOURCE:  National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.

NOTES:  For additional information, see Burt CW, Overpeck MD.  Emergency visits for sports-related injuries.  Ann Emerg Med.  March 2001; 37:301-308.