As was the case with the latest study on winter sports, the NCAA's most recent Injury Surveillance System (ISS) shows generally lower practice injury rates for spring sports, including spring football.

The study in spring sports shows that practice and game injury rates were at least slightly lower than average in spring football, men's lacrosse, softball and baseball.

The system, in its 19th year, monitors injuries in 15 different sports, including five in the spring season: spring football, men's and women's lacrosse, baseball, and softball.

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.

Spring football

Practice (8.1) injury rates per 1,000 athlete-exposures were lower than the 14-year averages for the sport. This continues a downward trend over the last few years, with rates almost equivalent to preseason fall practice. Spring-practice injury rates equate to one injury every two practices for a team of 70 participants. The final spring "game" injury rate (15.8) also was lower than the average for the sport.

The knee, ankle and upper leg were the most prevalent body parts injured, accounting for 49 percent of all reported injuries. Sprains, strains and contusions were the top types of injuries.

Forty-seven percent of all practice injuries required restricted or missed participation for seven days or more, while 10 percent required surgery of some type. Eight percent of the injuries involved concussions.

Lacrosse

Women's lacrosse showed practice (3.6) injury rates similar to and game (8.4) injury rates higher than the 16-year averages for the sport. Assuming 15 game participants, the game rate equates to one injury every eight games.

Ankle, lower leg and knee injuries were most prevalent during practices, accounting for 43 percent of the reported injuries, while the ankle, knee and head accounted for 55 percent of the reported injuries in game competition. Seventeen percent of all reported injuries were above the neck, with 3 percent to the eye. Sprains, strains and contusions were the top types of injuries in games.

Twenty percent of women's lacrosse game injuries restricted participation for seven days or more, while 9 percent resulted in surgery. Twenty percent of game injuries resulted from player contact; the same percentage resulted from stick contact.

In men's lacrosse, practice (3.2) and game (10.8) injury rates were slightly lower than the 18-year averages for the sport. Assuming 15 game participants, the game rate equates to one injury every six games.

The ankle, knee and upper leg were the top body parts injured in practice, accounting for 47 percent of injuries. The head, upper leg and knee were the top body parts injured in games, also accounting for 47 percent of injuries. Sprains, strains and contusions were the top three types of injuries.

Twenty-eight percent of game injuries resulted in time loss of seven days or more, while 8 percent resulted in surgery. Contact with another player accounted for 40 percent of all game injuries.

Baseball and softball

Baseball showed practice (1.7) injury rates slightly lower and game injury rates (6.1) similar to the 17-year averages for the sport. Assuming 10 game participants, the game rate equates to one injury every 16 games. The shoulder, elbow and upper leg were the most common body parts injured in practice, accounting for 51 percent of reported injuries. The shoulder, upper leg and elbow were the top injuries in games. Strains, contusions and sprains were the top three types of game injuries.

Forty percent of game injuries resulted in time loss of seven days or more, while 7 percent resulted in surgery. In games, pitching (16 percent) and noncontact (20 percent) accounted for the majority of reported injuries.

Softball data show lower practice (2.1) and slightly higher game (3.8) injury rates than the 16-year averages for the sport. Assuming 10 game participants, the game rate equates to one injury every 26 games. The ankle, shoulder and upper leg were the most common body parts injured in practice, accounting for 38 percent of reported injuries, while the knee, upper leg and ankle accounted for 36 percent of the reported injuries in games. Strains, sprains and contusions were the top three types of injuries.

Thirty-five percent of game injuries resulted in time loss of seven days or more, while 9 percent resulted in surgery. Twenty-one percent of game injuries involved contact with an opposing player.

How the ISS works

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

The 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 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.