The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- September 27, 1999

Spring sports study reveals increased risk for baseball, softball base runners

Research from the 1999 spring NCAA Injury Surveillance System (ISS) indicates that baseball and softball base runners may be at risk, having accounted for 25 percent of game injuries during the research period. Those injuries were related primarily to injuries incurred while sliding into a base.

On the other hand, in spring football, the injury numbers for the sport's "spring game" were the lowest in 10 years.

The ISS, in its 16th year, monitors injuries in 15 sports, including five in the spring: baseball, softball, football, and men's and women's lacrosse.

Research from the 1998-99 baseball season showed practice (2.2) and game (6.0) injury rates for the 1998-99 season that were comparable to the 13-year averages for the sport. Shoulders, ankles and the upper leg were the top three body parts injured in games and accounted for 38 percent of all reported game injuries in the sport.

The base runner was involved in more than 25 percent of game injuries (primarily sliding).

Muscle strains, which have been the most common injury to players for the past 13 years, continue to be a significant nuisance, accounting for 27 percent of all reported game injuries. Thirty-two percent of all reported injuries resulted in seven or more days of time loss. Throwing or pitching accounted for more than one-third of practice and 19 percent of game injuries. Eleven percent of game injuries involved impact with a batted ball.

Base runners in softball were involved in one-third of game injuries (primarily sliding), but overall, the softball research showed practice (3.0) and game (4.5) injury rates that were slightly below the 13-year averages for the sport. Ankles, knee and fingers were the top three body parts injured and accounted for 35 percent of the reported game injuries in the sport. Sprains, contusions and strains were the top types of injuries, accounting for 62 percent of the reported game injuries.

Twenty-eight percent of all reported injuries resulted in seven or more days of time loss. Throwing or pitching accounted for 27 percent of practice and 9 percent of game injuries. Twelve percent of game injuries involved impact with a batted ball.

Spring football

The spring football practice injury rates of 10.5 were slightly higher than the 11-year average of the sport and more than double the rates of fall practice. Knees, ankles and shoulders accounted for 47 percent of all reported injuries while sprains, strains and contusions accounted for 69 percent of all injuries.

Nine percent of reported injuries required surgery, while 7 percent were concussions. Thirty-eight percent of injuries occurred during a full scrimmage. Injury rates in contact practices involving no tackling were much lower than those practices that involved tackling. Injury rates in the "spring game" were the lowest reported in the last 10 years.

Men's and women's lacrosse

Practice injury rates in women's lacrosse (2.7) were lower than the 13-year average for the sport, while game rates (7.3) were similar. The ankle, head and knee accounted for 51 percent of reported game injuries while the top three types of injuries were sprains, strains and contusions.

Twenty-nine percent of all reported injuries involved seven or more days of time loss. Non-contact was the primary injury mechanism in both practice and game. Contact with the ball accounted for 16 percent of practice and 4 percent of game injuries while stick contact was the cause of 3 percent of practice and 21 percent of game injuries. Twenty percent of reported game injuries were above the neck.

However, research in men's lacrosse showed a practice (3.9) injury rate that was comparable to and a game (16.7) injury rate that was above the 12-year averages for the sport. Shoulders, upper leg, head and ankle were the top body parts injured in games, accounting for 52 percent of all reported game injuries.

Sprains, contusions and strains were the top types of injuries. Twenty-three percent of reported injuries resulted in restricted or no participation for seven or more days. Player contact was the mechanism of injury in more than one-half of reported game injuries. Thirteen percent of all game injuries occurred to the head, with most being concussions.

Baseline of data

The survey, conducted as part of the ISS, provides a baseline of injury data from a national sampling. Researchers should be cautious when comparing ISS results with injury data from other studies. No common definition of injury, measure of severity or evaluation of exposure exists in athletics-injury literature. The information in the summary must be evaluated under the definitions and methodology outlined for the ISS.

The ISS was developed in 1982 to provide current and reliable data on injury trends in intercollegiate athletics. Injury data are collected yearly from a representative sample of member institutions and the resulting data summaries are reviewed by the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports. The committee's goal continues to be to reduce injury rates through suggested changes in rules, protective equipment or coaching techniques, based on ISS data.

Sampling

Exposure and injury data were submitted weekly by athletic trainers from institutions selected to represent a cross section of NCAA membership. The cross section was based on the NCAA's three divisions and the four geographical regions of the country. The selected institutions amount to a minimum 10 percent sample of the membership sponsoring the sport; therefore, the resulting data should be representative of the total population of NCAA institutions.

The system does not identify every injury that occurs at NCAA institutions in a particular sport. Rather, it collects a sampling that is representative of a cross section of the NCAA.

Exposures

An athlete exposure (A-E) is one athlete participating in one practice or game in which he or she is exposed to the possibility of athletics injury. For example, five practices, each involving 60 participants, and one game involving 40 participants, would result in a total of 340 A-Es for a particular week.

Injuries

A reportable injury in the ISS is defined as one that:

1. Occurred as a result of participation in an organized intercollegiate practice or game, and

2. Required medical attention by a team athletic trainer or physician, and

3. Resulted in restriction of the student-athlete's participation or performance for one or more days beyond the day of injury.

Injury rate

An injury rate is a ratio of the number of injuries in a particular category to the number of athlete exposures in that category. This value is then multiplied by 1,000 to produce an injury rate per 1,000 athlete-exposures. For example, six reportable injuries during a period of 563 athlete-exposures would give an injury rate of 10.7 injuries per 1,000 A-Es [(6 divided by 563) x 1,000].

Additional information on the report is available from the sports sciences staff at the NCAA national office.

The accompanying tables highlight selected information from the spring 1999 ISS. When appropriate, injury rates and game-practice percentages are compared to an average value calculated from all years in which ISS data have been collected in a specific sport.

Injury Surveillance System Highlights

The following table highlights selected information from the spring 1999 Injury Surveillance System. When appropriate, injury rates and game-practice percentages are compared to an average value calculated from all years in which ISS data have been collected in a specific sport.

Baseball Softball Spring Football Women's Lacrosse Men's Lacrosse

No. of Teams 92 (11%) 97 (12%) 50 (13%) 31 (15%) 35 (18%)

Practice injury rate (per 1,000 A-E) 14-year avg. 2.2 13-year avg. (3.3) 11-year avg. 10.0 13-year avg. (3.6) 12-year avg. (3.8)

Game injury rate (per 1,000 A-E) 6.1 (5.0) 10.0 (7.4) (15.3)

Percent of injuries occurring in practices 49 (53%) 92% (68%) (56%)

Percent of injuries occurring in games 51 (47%) Scrimmage 8% (32%) (44%)

Top three body parts injured--game Shoulder 14% Ankle 13% Knee 22% Ankle 21% Shoulder 15%

(% of all injuries) Ankle 13% Knee 11% Ankle 15% Head 15% Upper Leg 13%

Upper Leg 11% Fingers 11% Ankle 15% Knee 15% Ankle/Head 12%

Top three types of injury--game Strain 27% Sprain 25% Sprain 34% Sprain 38% Sprain 25%

(% of all injuries) Sprain 23% Contusion 24% Strain 26% Strain 17% Contusion 25%

Contusion 21% Strain 13% Contusion 9% Contusion 17% Strain 16%