Danger score versus ER volume
Danger score versus ER volume
According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2024, Softball (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) ranks #213 of 838 by danger score (39/100) at ER-volume #34 of 838 (86,509/yr). They are not the same ranking.
- #213
- danger rank of 838
- #34
- ER-volume rank of 838
- 39/100
- danger score
- 86,509/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 (39/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories
39 Around the middle lower than 25% 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: 37/100
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 | 86,509 | 100th | 30% | CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries |
| 5-year injury trend | -39% | 12th | 15% | CPSC NEISS 5-year % change in ER-treated injuries |
| Consumer incident reports | 0 | 0th | 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 1.7M estimated ER injuries land on the body
Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 5034. Segments sum to 1.7M - 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 Swimming, Water & Beach 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.
Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment danger scores
How this 39/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for softball (activity, apparel or equipment) - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume 86,509 ER visits/yr Very high volume
- Severity (hospitalization rate) 1.9% Low admission rate
- Fatality rate 0.03% Above-typical fatality rate
- 5-year trend-39%
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 softball (activity, apparel or equipment) are declining by about 39% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2009 (121,175 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2020 (28,282 estimated visits). The single most common ER diagnosis is strain, sprain to the ankle, accounting for approximately 148,606 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by internal injury to the head (91,536 cases). The 15-24 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 546,890 cases over the NEISS window, and females appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 1.9% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.03%) result in fatality.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 0 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how softball (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 | 2,976 | 2,707 | |
| 5-14 | 33,978 | 474,390 | |
| 15-24 | 119,916 | 426,865 | |
| 25-34 | 204,875 | 113,156 | |
| 35-44 | 138,667 | 68,053 | |
| 45-54 | 61,325 | 25,684 | |
| 55-64 | 25,124 | 5,918 | |
| 65-74 | 16,603 | 2,197 | |
| 75+ | 6,041 | 1,332 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Ankle | Strain, Sprain | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Knee | Strain, Sprain | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Face | Fracture | |
| Finger | Fracture | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Head | Concussion | |
| Shoulder | Strain, Sprain | |
| Hand | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Finger | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Leg | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Knee | Other | |
| Mouth | Laceration | |
| Wrist | Strain, Sprain |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
15 YOF PLAYING SOFTBALL AND HIT BY A PITCHED BALL. DX HIP CONTUSION
13YOF PRESENTS WITH A LACERATION TO HER LEFT EYEBROW AFTER BEING HIT WITH A SOFTBALL DURING SOFTBALL PRACTICE DX: LACERATION OF LEFT EYEBROW
19YOM WAS ACCIDENTALLY HIT IN THE FACE BY A SOFTBALL. DX: FACIAL FX.
16 YOF HIT IN HEAD PLAYING SOFTBALL DX; CONCUSSION W/O LOC
17YOF PRESENTS TO THE ED AFTER THE PATIENT HURT HER LEFT PINKY FINGER WHILE PLAYING SOFTBALL COMPLAINING OF PAIN. DX: FINGER INJURY, FINGER FRACTURE, LEFT
14YOF WAS PLAYING SOFTBALL WHEN HER CLEAT GOT STUCK AS SHE WAS RUNNING THE BASES AND RIGHT KNEE POPPED OUT OF PLACE DX: DISLOCATION KNEE
14YOF WAS PLAYING SOFTBALL TWISTED UPPER BACK AND DX: ACUTE BACK PAIN
14YOF WAS AT SOFTBALL PRACTICE THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS DOING ALOT OF RUNNING, DEVELOPED CRAMPING IN BOTH CALVES DX: MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN CALVES
58YOF WAS PLAYING SOFTBALL AND WAS HIT IN THE CHEST DX: CONTUSION RIBS
14YOF WAS PLAYING SOFTBALL AND FELL ONTO RIGHT SHOULDER DX: FRACTURED RIGHT HUMERUS
43YOF PATIENT WAS PLAYING SOFTBALL WHEN SHE FELL ONTO HER KNEES WITH HER ARM STRETCHED OUT. DX: CHEST WALL PAIN
15YOF C/O CONCUSSION AND STRAINED NECK S/P PT STATES SHE WAS CATCHING SOFTBALLS FROM A PITCHING MACHINE WHEN 2 SOFTBALLS GOING 60-70PMH HIT HER ON HER FOREHEAD CAUSING HER TO FALL TO THE GROUND. DX: CONCUSSION AND NECK STRAIN
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to softball (activity, apparel or equipment) on the CPSC website.
Compare beyond Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment
Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization
Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Softball (activity, Apparel Or Equipment): cross-group products nearest on danger score (39/100), estimated annual ER visits (86,509/yr), and hospitalization share (1.9%). 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.
- All Terrain Vehicles (four Wheels/off Road Only) Sports Protective Equipment & Gear 86,228/yr
- Swimming (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) Sports Protective Equipment & Gear 90,458/yr
- Day Wear Personal Care & Safety Products 82,219/yr
- Tableware & Accessories (excluding Drinking Glass,cups,mugs) Containers, Tableware & Packaging 81,969/yr
Similar hospitalization rate
Nearest cross-group products by % of NEISS ER visits resulting in hospital admission.
- Stereo Or Hi-fi Components Or Accessories Home Structures & Construction Materials 1.9%admitted
- Workshop Grinders, Buffers Or Polishers, N.s. Home Communication & Entertainment 1.9%admitted
- Other Glass Bottles Or Jars Containers & Packaging 1.9%admitted
- Adhesives Home Workshop Tools & Equipment 1.9%admitted
Related Products in Swimming, Water & Beach 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, Softball (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) ranks #213 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #34 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does softball (activity, apparel or equipment) rank on danger score versus ER volume?
Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, softball (activity, apparel or equipment) ranks #213 by PlainSafety danger score (39/100) and #34 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (86,509/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.
What are the most common injuries from softball (activity, apparel or equipment)?
The most common injury is strain, sprain to the ankle, accounting for approximately 148,606 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from softball (activity, apparel or equipment) increasing or decreasing?
Down 39% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for softball (activity, apparel or equipment) injuries?
The 15-24 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 546,890 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by softball (activity, apparel or equipment)?
Of all ER visits involving softball (activity, apparel or equipment), approximately 1.9% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (98.1%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with softball (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.