The latest NCAA Injury Surveillance System reports almost a quarter of game injuries in baseball and softball occur to the base runner.

The spring 2000 survey, conducted as part of the Injury Surveillance System (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 system monitors injuries in 15 different sports, including five in the spring: baseball, men's and women's lacrosse, softball, and spring football.

A sport-by-sport review follows:

Softball and baseball

Softball showed practice (2.7) and game (4.9) injury rates slightly less than the 14-year average for the sport. Assuming 10 game participants, the game rate equates to one injury every 20 games. Ankle, shoulder and upper leg injuries were the top three body parts injured during practices, accounting for 33 percent of the reported injuries; the knee, ankle and shoulder accounted for 36 percent of the reported injuries in game competition. Contusions, sprains and strains were the top types of injuries in games.

Thirty-two percent of softball game injuries restricted participation for seven days or more while five percent resulted in surgery. Base runners are the highest position at risk for injury during games, accounting for 27 percent of all injuries. Another six percent of reported injuries occurred from impact with a batted ball, including a number that were the result of fouled pitches striking the catcher or batter.

Baseball showed practice (1.9) and game (6.0) injury rates similar to the 14-year average for the sport. Assuming 10 game participants, the game rate equates to one injury every 17 games. Shoulder, elbow, and ankle injuries were the top three body parts injured during practices, accounting for 47 percent of the reported injuries; the shoulder, elbow and upper leg accounted for 36 percent of the reported injuries in game competition. Strains, contusions and sprains were the top types of injuries in games, and five percent of all game injuries were concussions.

Forty-three percent of baseball game injuries restricted participation for seven days or more while nine percent resulted in surgery. Base runners are the highest position at risk for injury during games, accounting for 23 percent of all injuries. Another 11 percent of reported injuries occurred from impact with a batted ball, including a number that were the result of fouled pitches striking the catcher or batter.

Women's and men's lacrosse

Women's lacrosse showed slightly higher practice (4.0) and slightly lower game (6.8) injury rates than the 14-year average for the sport. Assuming 15 game participants, the rate equates to one injury every 10 games. Ankle, lower leg and foot were the most common body parts injured in practice, accounting for 44 percent of reported injuries; the knee, upper leg and head accounted for 53 percent of the reported injuries in games. Sprains, strains and contusions were the top types of injuries, and concussions accounted for nine percent of all game injuries.

Thirty-three percent of injuries resulted in time loss of seven days or more, while 12 percent resulted in surgery. Twenty-six percent of game injuries resulted from contact with the ball or stick, while 17 percent resulted from contact with another player. An estimated combined 170 injuries to the head or face occurred in practices and games last year. About 45 of those were to the eye.

Men's lacrosse showed lower practice (3.1) and game (12.2) injury rates than the 16-year average for the sport. Assuming 20 game participants, the rate equates to one injury every four games. Ankle, upper leg and knee were the most common body parts injured in practice, accounting for 54 percent of reported injuries; the shoulder, upper leg and head accounted for 50 percent of the reported injuries in matches. Strains, sprains and contusions were the top types of injuries, and concussions accounted for 13 percent of all game injuries.

Thirty percent of injuries resulted in time loss of seven days or more, while four percent resulted in surgery. Almost half the game injuries resulted from contact with another player while 16 percent of game injuries resulted from contact with the ball or stick.

Spring football

Spring football showed practice (9.9) injury rates that were slightly lower than the 12-year average for the sport, yet still more than double the rates occurring in fall practice. Assuming 50 practice participants, the practice rate equates to one injury every two practices. Knee, ankle and upper leg were the most common body parts injured, accounting for 48 percent of reported injuries; concussions accounted for seven percent. Sprains, strains and contusions were the top three types of injuries.

Forty-eight percent of spring practice injuries resulted in time loss of seven days or more, while 10 percent resulted in surgery. Injury risks were similar in scrimmage and contact-tackling practices and the spring game. These rates were significantly higher than injury risks in contact-nontackling or noncontact practices.

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.

Definitions of terminology:

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 three divisions of the NCAA 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.

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

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 then is 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 athlete exposures [(6 divided by 563) x 1,000].

Additional information on the report is available from the health and safety staff at the NCAA national office.