Danger score versus ER volume
Danger score versus ER volume
According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2024, Football (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) ranks #84 of 838 by danger score (43/100) at ER-volume #6 of 838 (369,776/yr). They are not the same ranking.
- #84
- danger rank of 838
- #6
- ER-volume rank of 838
- 43/100
- danger score
- 369,776/yr
- estimated ER visits (avg)
Danger score combines injury volume, hospitalization, fatality, and five-year trend. ER volume is the average annual NEISS estimate alone. Rank 1 is highest on each list.
Where this category's danger score sits nationally
Danger score (43/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories
43 Higher than most more dangerous than 88% of 838 product categories
scored CPSC product categories, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more product categories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source CPSC NEISS, PlainSafety danger-score model · 2024
Composite verdict
Composite Safety Score: 45/100
One verdict blending 4 independently-sourced dimensions from two separate CPSC systems, each benchmarked against all 838 scored product categories by percentile rather than raw value, so no single huge-volume category can dominate the scale.
| Dimension | Value | National percentile | Weight applied | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Injury severity (hospitalization + fatality blend) | 2 | 16th | 35% | CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index |
| Annual ER injury volume | 369,776 | 100th | 30% | CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries |
| 5-year injury trend | -31% | 21st | 15% | CPSC NEISS 5-year % change in ER-treated injuries |
| Consumer incident reports | 4 | 31st | 20% | CPSC SaferProducts.gov public incident report count |
Methodology: each dimension is ranked against the full population's p10/p25/p50/p75/p90 breakpoints and interpolated to a 0-100 percentile; the composite is the weighted average of available percentiles. See methodology for the full benchmark table.
Where 7.4M estimated ER injuries land on the body
Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 1211. Segments sum to 7.4M - a body-map mix, not a danger score or ER-volume rank.
Two danger lenses
Same-group peer scores and this product's dial
The bars compare PlainSafety danger scores inside the Sports & Recreation Equipment group (same CPSC NEISS extract). The dial is this product's score alone on the Low/Moderate/High bands. Do not read a peer bar as an ER-visit count.
Sports & Recreation Equipment danger scores
How this 43/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for football (activity, apparel or equipment) - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume 369,776 ER visits/yr Very high volume
- Severity (hospitalization rate) 2.2% Low admission rate
- Fatality rate 0.00% No recorded fatalities
- 5-year trend-31%
Band labels compare this category against the corpus of 838 scored CPSC product categories, see the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Across the 20-year NEISS window from 2005 to 2024, injury counts for football (activity, apparel or equipment) are declining by about 31% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2010 (489,676 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2020 (122,181 estimated visits). The single most common ER diagnosis is strain, sprain to the ankle, accounting for approximately 496,965 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by concussion to the head (465,630 cases). The 5-14 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 3.7M cases over the NEISS window, and males appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 2.2% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 4 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how football (activity, apparel or equipment) fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 16,797 | 2,956 | |
| 5-14 | 3.5M | 201,911 | |
| 15-24 | 2.8M | 152,738 | |
| 25-34 | 374,106 | 49,004 | |
| 35-44 | 143,994 | 28,581 | |
| 45-54 | 52,499 | 10,293 | |
| 55-64 | 15,409 | 4,183 | |
| 65-74 | 5,070 | 2,208 | |
| 75+ | 2,134 | 904 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Ankle | Strain, Sprain | |
| Head | Concussion | |
| Finger | Fracture | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Knee | Strain, Sprain | |
| Finger | Strain, Sprain | |
| Shoulder | Strain, Sprain | |
| Shoulder | Fracture | |
| Lower Arm | Fracture | |
| Wrist | Fracture | |
| Wrist | Strain, Sprain | |
| Upper Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Knee | Other | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Neck | Strain, Sprain |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
38YOM PRESENTS WITH RIGHT SHOULDER PAIN AFTER HE FELL DURING FLAG FOOTBALL PRACTICE, PROVIDER BELIEVES PAIN IS LIKELY JUST DUE TO CONTUSION OF HIS SHOULDER DX: RIGHT SHOULDER PAIN
23 YOM WITH RIGHT ANKLE PAIN AFTER FOOTBALL 1 WEEK PTA. DX SPRAIN RIGHT ANKLE
7YOM RIGHT KNEE PAIN AFTER FALLING PLAYING FOOTBALL DX: ACUTE PAIN OF RIGHT KNEE
11YOM PATIENT WAS PLAYING FOOTBALL AND JAMMED HIS FINGER DX: NONDISPLACED FRACTURE OF PROXIMAL PHALANX OF LEFT LITTLE FINGER, CLOSED FRACTURE, INJURY WHILE PLAYING AMERICAN FOOTBALL
8YOF WAS PLAYING FOOTBALL AND JAMMED RIGHT FIFTH FINGER DX: CONTUSION FINGER
30 YOF PRESENTS WITH LEFT SHOULDER AND NECK PAIN AFTER PLAYING FOOTBALL YESTERDAY. SHE WAS GOING FOR A TACKLE, HAD HER LEFT ARM OUT, SAYS SHE GOT SPUN AROUND AND FELT AN IMMEDIATE PAIN IN HER LEFT NECK AND FELL TO THE GROUND DX LEFT-SIDED NECK STRAIN
29YOM WITH ABDOMINAL WALL CONTUSION DURING FOOTBALL DX: ABD WALL CONTUSION
15YOM, A FRIEND WAS SWINGING A BAG WITH FOOTBALL CLEATS IN IT AND ACCIDENTALLY STRUCK HIS FACE, DX: LACERATION OF RIGHT EYEBROW
23YOF WAS HIT IN THE LEFT EYE WITH A FOOTBALL DX: LEFT EYE HYPHEMA
15YOM WAS PLAYING FOOTBALL IN PE CLASS AND ROLLED RIGHT ANKLE DX RIGHT ANKLE INJURY
10YOF WAS AT PARK PLAYING FOOTBALL AND TRIED TO CATCH BALL. DX FINGER FX
9YOM PLAYING FOOTBALL AND CAUGHT BALL AND FELL TO GROUND DX: CHI, CONCUSSION, CONTUSION FOREHEAD
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
My 10-year-old son suffered a deep laceration near the elbow that was caused by the top snap of an Under Armour Gameday Chin Strap. The injury, which was highly traumatic, resulted in an emergency room visit where doctors sedated my son and performed 3 internal stitches and 11 external stitches. The incident happened during practice when the team was working on tackling fundamentals. My son, who's approximately 80 lbs., was running the ball and tackled by another 10-year-old of roughly the same weight. It was a normal tackle with little impact that resulted in the top snap of the chin strap on the tacklers helmet cutting my sons arm near the elbow. The doctors insisted that the snap punctured the arm and then tore the first and second levels of skin, resulting in significant blood loss, severe pain, and immense trauma. The cut was so deep that the doctors were concerned that it may have severed ligaments, tendons, and nerves in the area of the elbow.
Football chin strapped causes laceration to my teenage right arm. Which resulted in him getting stitches
We purchased Under Armour Brawler Football cleats for our son. During the first football game of the season while in the middle of a play the entire sole of the shoe came flying off.
all pro passer robotic quarterback. I t cut my grandson head in 2 spots and a purple knot from the plastic end
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to football (activity, apparel or equipment) on the CPSC website.
Compare beyond Sports & Recreation Equipment
Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization
Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Football (activity, Apparel Or Equipment): cross-group products nearest on danger score (43/100), estimated annual ER visits (369,776/yr), and hospitalization share (2.2%). Same-group neighbours stay in Related Products above.
Similar danger score
Nearest cross-group products by PlainSafety danger score (100-point scale).
Similar ER visit volume
Nearest cross-group products by NEISS estimated annual ER visits.
- Ceilings And Walls (interior Part Of Completed Structure) Building Materials & Home Structures 348,591/yr
- Chairs, Other Or Not Specified Floors, Walls & Ceilings 347,059/yr
- Knives, Not Elsewhere Classified Containers, Tableware & Packaging 336,545/yr
- Tables (excl. Baby Changing Tables, Billiard Or Pool Tables Floors, Walls & Ceilings 327,154/yr
Similar hospitalization rate
Nearest cross-group products by % of NEISS ER visits resulting in hospital admission.
- Skating (activity/apparel, Or Equipment) Other/not Specified Sports Protective Equipment & Gear 2.2%admitted
- Martial Arts (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) Sports Protective Equipment & Gear 2.2%admitted
- Street Hockey (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) Sports Protective Equipment & Gear 2.1%admitted
- Toy Sports Equipment Toys & Children's Recreation 2.1%admitted
Related Products in Sports & Recreation Equipment
Read with this product
About this data
CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports form the basis of this page. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments.
According to PlainSafety's CPSC NEISS corpus ranking, Football (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) ranks #84 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #6 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does football (activity, apparel or equipment) rank on danger score versus ER volume?
Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, football (activity, apparel or equipment) ranks #84 by PlainSafety danger score (43/100) and #6 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (369,776/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.
What are the most common injuries from football (activity, apparel or equipment)?
The most common injury is strain, sprain to the ankle, accounting for approximately 496,965 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from football (activity, apparel or equipment) increasing or decreasing?
Down 31% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for football (activity, apparel or equipment) injuries?
The 5-14 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 3.7M cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by football (activity, apparel or equipment)?
Of all ER visits involving football (activity, apparel or equipment), approximately 2.2% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (97.8%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with football (activity, apparel or equipment)?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
PlainSafety is rendered directly from U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall and incident records, no number is typed in by an editor. Product recall timelines and hazard labels are drawn from CPSC recall records for this product. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.