Dink Responsibly: Safety First
Pickleball is fun, accessible, and highly addictive! But as with any sport, there’s always a possibility of injury.
While you cannot prevent every unforeseen incident, you can drastically reduce your risk of getting hurt.
Playing smart will keep you from being sidelined and missing out, or even giving up the sport you love for good!
📊 ER STATISTICS
The first step to playing smart is knowing the facts. The statistics below reflect two decades of national emergency room data, analyzed by independent medical research teams to reveal pickleball's most common injury patterns.
🛢️DATA SOURCE: NEISS
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Every day, emergency rooms across the country report sports injuries to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
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The NEISS (National Electronic Injury Surveillance System) database has collected this data since 2005.
📊 BODY INJURY STATS
🛢️BODY INJURY CAUSES
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Fractures: Diving for ball, hard fall
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Torn Soft-Tissues: Sudden lateral stop, quick pivot, deep lunge.
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Severe Bruising: Hard fall, collision
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Head Trauma: Falling backward
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Heat & Cardia Stress: Dehydration, heat stroke, cardiac event.
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Cuts & Heavy Bleeding: Falling, scaping the court
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Dislocations: Hard fall
📋 2025 Report: Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine (Based on ~66,350 total ER visits)
⚠️ HIDDEN HEAD TRAUMA
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Severe head impacts seldom show immediate symptoms. Since complications often surface days later, ER visits are logged as neurology, not pickleball injuries.
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While 5 cardiac fatalities were logged on court, delayed head-trauma deaths go completely uncounted as sports injuries!
⚠️ EYE TRAUMA & COURT RISKS
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From 2002 to 2020, pickleball eye injuries were rare. As the sport exploded, over 88% of all eye trauma occurred in just the last few years.
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ERs log over 3,100 eye injuries vs. 60,000+ body injuries, but experts emphasize this is a major underestimate since many players visit eye specialists directly.
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A pickleball hit with modern paddle tech flies at 40–60 mph. Standing at the 14-foot kitchen line, you have a mere 0.16 to 0.24 seconds to react.
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Paddle strikes from your own partner add another major threat. A teammate chasing a ball can accidentally land a direct blow to your eye at point-blank range.
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Unlike muscle or bone, eye tissue has no natural defense against high-speed impacts and cannot regrow. A direct strike can result in permanent vision loss.
📊 EYE & FACE INJURY STATS
🛢️EYE & FACE INJURY CAUSES
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Eyelid Cuts: Paddle blow, ball scape
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Internal Damage: Direct ball strike, heavy paddle impact
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Corneal Abrasion: Direct ball strike
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Black eye: Direct ball strike, heavy paddle impact, falling face-first
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Detached Retina: Direct ball strike, heavy paddle impact
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Facial fractures: Hard fall, collision
📋 2025 Report: JAMA Ophthalmology (Based on ~3,112 total ER visits)
⚠️ CHRONIC OVERUSE INJURIES
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ER data captures sudden trauma, missing a common pickleball hazard—chronic wear and tear on shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees.
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Players often ignore early warning signs and play through pain until it becomes intolerable, forcing them to stop playing for months, or quit the sport entirely.
🛡️ PREVENTIVE MEASURES
The good news? Many pickleball injuries are surprisingly easy to avoid.
If you recognize any risk factors and spot an area where you might be vulnerable, small proactive changes can keep you safe.
Protect your body so you can step onto the court—whether to battle and settle the score, or simply play for fun!
✅ ESSENTIAL GEAR
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Protective Eyewear: Wear protective frames with impact-resistant polycarbonate lenses for a solid layer of defense against direct hits, so you play with confidence!
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Court-Specific Shoes: Wear court shoes with lateral support, cushioning, and stable outsoles to protect your lower joints during sharp cuts and sudden stops.
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Paddle Fit & Ergonomics: Choose a paddle that fits your size, try demos before buying, and consider vibration-dampening paddles for arm relief.
✅ PLAYING SMART
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Avoid High-Risk Moves: Never backpedal for lobs - turn and run back instead! Let go of unreachable drops and wide shots. Lose a point, but save your body!
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Kitchen Defense: While standing at the kitchen line, keep your paddle raised at chest level and ready to block. This is your primary guard against fast speed-ups!
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Court Communication: Call "Mine!" or "Yours!" early on middle balls to prevent collisions. Yell 'Ball!' immediately for any stray balls to prevent rolled ankles.
✅ BODY PREP & CARE
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Dynamic Warm-Up: Spend 5 minutes on doing dynamic movements like arm circles, leg swings, and light shuffles to wake up your nervous system and lubricate joints.
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Hydration & Nutrition: Drink water early and use electrolytes to prevent muscle cramps. Eat a light meal 2-4 hours ahead, or grab a quick snack right before.
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Rest & Recovery: Skip a turn, or a day. That "one more game" is the top cause of overuse injuries. Knowing when to call it a day keeps you playing longer!