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

[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 It seems PB is safer than bowling, too bad the video that used to go along with this no longer works.

[pip_999]

ahh

this jsut about says it all

[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]

lol

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]

Krazy Ivan pic

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.