Lacrosse (activity, Apparel Or Equipment)
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Sports & Recreation Equipment · CPSC Code 1215
Down 25% over 5 years
The verdict
Lacrosse (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) carry a danger score of 36/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 15,451 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 25% over the last five years.
- 36/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 15,451
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 2.2%
- end in hospital admission
- 15-24
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1215 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 36/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for lacrosse (activity, apparel or equipment) - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume15,451 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)2.2%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-25%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Lacrosse (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) (CPSC product code 1215, in the Sports & Recreation Equipment category) generate an estimated 15,451 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 309,022 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 36/100 for this category (low risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are declining by about 25% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2012 (22,098 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2020 (3,677 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for lacrosse (activity, apparel or equipment) is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 24,212 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by strain, sprain to the ankle (23,889 cases). The 15-24 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 199,212 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 lacrosse (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 CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 101 | 39 | |
| 5-14 | 69,961 | 28,669 | |
| 15-24 | 149,674 | 49,538 | |
| 25-34 | 3,948 | 749 | |
| 35-44 | 2,525 | 640 | |
| 45-54 | 1,389 | 433 | |
| 55-64 | 670 | 37 | |
| 65-74 | 230 | 254 | |
| 75+ | 92 | 17 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Ankle | Strain, Sprain | |
| Head | Concussion | |
| Knee | Strain, Sprain | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Shoulder | Fracture | |
| Upper Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Finger | Fracture | |
| Wrist | Fracture | |
| Shoulder | Strain, Sprain | |
| Finger | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Arm | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Arm | Fracture | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Wrist | Strain, Sprain |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
17YOM ARM BRUISING WHEN PLAYING LACROSSE AND HIT WITH STICKDX BRUISING
20YOM PRESENTS TO ED FOR LAC TO THE LEFT CHIN ONSET TODAY DURING LACROSSE PRACTICE WHEN HE GOT HIT IN THE FACE WITH A LACROSSE STICK AFTER HIS HELMET CAME OFF. NO HEAD INJ OR LOC. DX: LACERATION
17YOM W/MILD HEADACHE, SLIGHTLY IRRITABLE AFTER HE WAS STRUCK IN THE HEAD TWICE&RELATIVELY QUICK SUCCESSION BY LACROSSE BALLS DURING LACROSSE PRACTICE.HE WAS WEARING HIS HELMET DURING THIS TIME. OCCURRED AT SCHOOL. DX: CONCUSSION
19 YOF STEPPED DOWN AWKWARDLY AT LACROSSE PRACTICE. DX HIP SPRAIN
16YOF WITH LACROSSE INJURY DX; CHI AND CONCUSSION
19YOM FELL PLAYING LACROSSE. DX: KNEE INJURY
16YOM PRESENTS WITH COMPLAINT OF HEAD INJURY. PATIENT STATES HE WAS PLAYING LACROSSE ON TURF FIELD AND WAS KNOCKED TO THE GROUND HITTING THE SIDE OF HIS HEAD. DX: CLOSED HEAD INJURY, CONCUSSION
16YOF PRESENTS WITH SHOULDER PAIN AND ABDOMINAL INJURY AFTER PLAYING LACROSSE. DX: BLUNT TRAUMA TO ABDOMEN, SHOULDER PAIN
16YOM, PLAYING LACROSSE WHEN GOT STRUCK TO NECK WITH THE BALL WITH IMMEDIATE PAIN,HAD OUTPATIENT IMAGING AND SENT IN, DX: CAROTID ARTERY DISSECTION
15YOM WAS WARMING UP FOR A LACROSSE GAME WHEN HE WAS HIT IN THE RIGHT LEG BY A BALL. BRUISING NOTED TO RIGHT CALF DX: RIGHT LEG PAIN
14YOM WAS PLAYING LACROSSE WHEN HE COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER PLAYER AND INJURED RIGHT WRIST. DX: WRIST FRACTURE.
12YOM WAS PLAYING INDOOR LACROSSE WHEN HE FELL BACKWARDS AND HIT HIS HEAD ON A BOARD. DX: HEAD INJURY; NECK INJURY.
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
My son [REDACTED], age 17, suffered a near fatal skull fracture and arterial bleed after getting struck on the left side of the head with a lacrosse ball. Although he was wearing a new Cascade Pro 7 helmet, the helmet failed to protect him.
Son (Age 10) Received a Concussion while playing lacrosse wearing
Amazon order of lacrosse balls. This product has an extremely strong and foul chemical odor. So much so, that I felt a burning sensation in my lungs upon opening the package.
My son's lacrosse helmet was hit with a lacrosse stick and shifted on his head (the helmet fit snugly). There is pointed piece of plastic on the inside of the helmet that punctured his eyelid which required stitches. The pointed plastic piece creates a safety hazard.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to lacrosse (activity, apparel or equipment) on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are lacrosse (activity, apparel or equipment)?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, lacrosse (activity, apparel or equipment) have a danger score of 36/100 (low risk). An estimated 15,451 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from lacrosse (activity, apparel or equipment)?
The most common injury is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 24,212 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from lacrosse (activity, apparel or equipment) increasing or decreasing?
Down 25% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for lacrosse (activity, apparel or equipment) injuries?
The 15-24 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 199,212 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by lacrosse (activity, apparel or equipment)?
Of all ER visits involving lacrosse (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 lacrosse (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.
Related Products in Sports & Recreation Equipment
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 36/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 15-24 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.
