Paintball injury data?

[Hamster Huey]

On nearly every paintball site I visit, I see a statement along the lines of "paintball is safer than golf or tennis". Now you'll have to forgive me - I love playing paintball and would love to see it become as mainstream as golf or tennis - but this statement sets off my BS alarm. I've already checked the medical literature and haven't found any mention of a study of paintball safety. So I'm coming to you, beloved AO, with 2 questions:

1) Has anyone else run into this claim before, the idea of paintball being as safe as tennis or golf?

2) Does anybody out there know where the data backing up this claim comes from and where I can find it?

I spend a fair bit time being a paintball advocate, talking up the sport and explaining how it's good exercise, builds teamwork, isn't overly violent, etc. I have no trouble saying these things because I know them to be true. But if I'm going to start spouting claims about paintball safety, I need to be sure of the facts before I open my mouth.

[Krazy Ivan]

I actually have seen this claim before, with figures to show it's proof. I saw it first in Action Pursuit Games Magazine.. I think the data came from www.paintballassociation.com

I could be wrong, however I have seen the statistics and paintball is even ranked below golf and even Archery :eek:

[HoppysMag]

when played properly paintball is safer than tennis..... unless of cours you playing tennis with raquetes made out of TNT and hitting a flaming monkey......... but yes i too have seen those stats and believe them

the info comes from hospital reports i do believe..

[liigod]

KRAZY IVAN, im sorry but that must be the most fun sport ever. Safe if you wear a blast suit. I got a pic im guna upload into this thread for u. Relates to yer screen name.

[Telefragged]

I think I've got a link to a CNN Report on paintball safety somewhere on this comp...

Ah, here we are CNN Article (http://stacks.msnbc.com/local/wpmi/m43798.asp?cp1=1) It seems PB is safer than bowling, too bad the video that used to go along with this no longer works.

[pip_999]

this jsut about says it all

http://stacks.msnbc.com/local/wpmi/images/05Paintball_IL1.jpg

[Hamster Huey]

See, I like the numbers, but I have to take them with a grain of salt since they seem to be totals, not "number of injuries per x people" or something like that. Just telling me that there were about 2000 paintball-related injuries in 1998 isn't nearly as useful as telling me that 0.2% of paintball players got injured in 1998. That's the kind of data we need to see.

[pip_999]

i think its funny that they #1 class trampoline as a sport
and that it had 95000 injuries
HAHAHAHA

[MrMag]

i play golf, and i know how bad someone can get hurt. we were in match, and my friend was teeing off......hooks it right into the other fairways and nails a guy from the other high school in the head.

[liigod]

here ivan, this is up in my room. Notice the paint on it. LOL, i meet u on a paintball form and yer name. Odd conicidence.

[Krazy Ivan]

Mind if I use that, maybe for a sig pic?

[~Backdraft~]

I remember seeing that in APG a while ago. I think its cool that we have a "safe" sport...we just need to help spread the word now.

[e1ement5]

Look at the age group that particapates in the sports listed.. and you will see that sports like tennins and golf have alot of players over the age of 65, and thus are more prone to injury. Just something to think about.

[Telefragged]

Oh yeah, check that out, a graph from my source! Whee! I might have done something worthwile!

[Croix71]

The numbers are a little misleading. To get an accurate # it should be a percentage of the # injuries divided by the actual amount of people who play. The # of people who play basketball is far beyond the # of people who play paintball.

[Major Ho]

http://www.paint-ball.org/safety_report.htm (Safety Report Site)
Sports Injuries Report



SPORT Yearly injuries per 1000 Participants

Water Skiing 260.84
Lacrosse 223.79
Wrestling 36.46
Rugby 31.21
Football 30.17
Baseball 28.42
Hockey 21.92
Basketball 19.76
Soccer 12.59
Boxing 11.34
Bicycle Riding 11.71
Gymnastics 10.49
Volleyball 4.03
Ice Skating 3.83
Snowmobiling 3.52
Snow Skiing 2.99
Racquetball 2.77
Tennis 2.77
Handball 1.92
Fishing 1.43
Swimming 1.34
Golf 1.22
Archery 0.85
Boating 0.75
Bowling 0.47
Paintball 0.24

[Miscue]

Hehe, I like the last two. I go against the norm. 4 broken bones between those two sports... :)

[StuDawggie]

Originally posted by Telefragged
It seems PB is safer than bowling...


I've heard this fact from my paintball guy a few times, especially when trying to convince newbies that the game is safe. Here's how he put's it... If you shoot yourself in the foot with a paintball gun, firt off you have to be stupid to do it, but the worst you'll probably have is a bruised foot. But if you're dumb enough to drop a bowling bal on your foot, you're probably going to end up with a broken bone or two. Now tell me what do you think is safer?

I love that quote. It just proves that pball is safer for ppl then just about any other sport. Now as for the wrestling having more injuries than rugby, I'll question that fact. I've played rugby (with a recreational team at college), and wrestled in HS, and I have to say that I've seen more injuries in rugby by far than in wrestling...

[Croix71]

Originally posted by Major Ho
SPORT Yearly injuries per 1000 Participants

hehe, thanks Major Ho. :D