Danger score versus ER volume
Danger score versus ER volume
According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2024, Squash, Racquet Ball Or Paddle Ball ranks #482 of 838 by danger score (34/100) at ER-volume #309 of 838 (4,243/yr). They are not the same ranking.
- #482
- danger rank of 838
- #309
- ER-volume rank of 838
- 34/100
- danger score
- 4,243/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 (34/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories
34 Lower than most lower than 57% 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: 40/100
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) | 7 | 60th | 35% | CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index |
| Annual ER injury volume | 4,243 | 56th | 30% | CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries |
| 5-year injury trend | -46% | 11th | 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 84,871 estimated ER injuries land on the body
Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 3256. Segments sum to 84,871 - 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 Protective Equipment & Gear 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 Protective Equipment & Gear danger scores
How this 34/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for squash, racquet ball or paddle ball - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume 4,243 ER visits/yr Above median volume
- Severity (hospitalization rate) 5.7% Above median admission rate
- Fatality rate 0.16% Elevated fatality rate
- 5-year trend-46%
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 squash, racquet ball or paddle ball are declining by about 46% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2005 (7,783 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2022 (1,379 estimated visits). The single most common ER diagnosis is laceration to the face, accounting for approximately 8,026 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by strain, sprain to the ankle (7,749 cases). The 15-24 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 20,198 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 5.7% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.16%) 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 squash, racquet ball or paddle ball 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 | 256 | 183 | |
| 5-14 | 3,466 | 1,721 | |
| 15-24 | 15,377 | 4,821 | |
| 25-34 | 9,907 | 2,235 | |
| 35-44 | 11,106 | 3,709 | |
| 45-54 | 10,997 | 3,281 | |
| 55-64 | 7,279 | 1,522 | |
| 65-74 | 6,053 | 652 | |
| 75+ | 1,974 | 274 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Face | Laceration | |
| Ankle | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Leg | Strain, Sprain | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Knee | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Eyeball | Other | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Shoulder | Strain, Sprain | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Mouth | Laceration | |
| Shoulder | Dislocation | |
| Wrist | Fracture | |
| Lower Trunk | Other |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
59YOF WAS PLAYING RACQUETBALL AT LOCAL *** WHEN SHE FELL BACKWARDS ON A LEFT OUTSTRETCHED UPPER EXTREMITY WHICH RESULTED IN WRIST PAIN. DENIES HEAD TRAUMA OR LOC. DX: FRACTURE LEFT DISTAL RADIUS CLOSED
18 YOF HIT IN NOSE PLAYING RACQUETBALL DX; NOSE CONTUSION
20YOF C/O CLOSED FRACTURE OF LOWER ARM S/P PT STATES SHE WAS PLAYING RACQUETBALL AND HER ARM BENT BACKWARDS CAUSING HER PAIN. DX: FRACTURE TO FOREARM
54YOM PATIENT PRESENTS WITH LOWER BACK PAIN THAT STARTED AFTER HE WAS PLAYING RACQUETBALL. DX: LOW BACK PAIN
68YOM PRESENTS WITH HAND SWELLING AND BRUISING AFTER A FALL WITH HEAD STRIKE WHILE PLAYING SQUASH. DX: WRIST FRACTURE
69YOM PRESENTS WITH ARM INJURY AFTER PLAYING RACQUTBALL, PATIENT STATES HEFELL ON HIS RIGHT ARM WHILE PLAYING.DX: INJURY OF SHOULDER
30YOM, PLAYING SQUASH COLLIDED WITH THE WALL HYPEREXTENDING HIS ARM DX: LEFT ARM PAIN
26YOM PRESENTS WITH KNEE PAIN AFTER PLAYING SQUASH. DX: KNEE INJURY, KNEE LOCKING
86YOM, TRIPPED AND FELL WHILE PLAYING RACQUETBALL STRIKING HEAD ON THE FLOOR WITHOUT LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS, DX: FOREHEAD LACERATION; CHEST WALL PAIN
15YOM WAS PLAYING SQUASH AND TWISTED RIGHT GROIN DX: STRAINED GROIN
18YOF PRESENTED TO ED C/O KNEE PAIN, PT STATED SHE WAS PLAYING SQUASH YESTERDAY, WHILE RUNNING SHE SUSTAINED KNEE PAIN. DX; KNEE PAIN
33 YOF WAS PLAYING RACQUETBALL LOST FOOTING AND ROLLED HER ANKLE. DX: LEFT ANKLE SPRAIN
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to squash, racquet ball or paddle ball on the CPSC website.
Compare beyond Sports Protective Equipment & Gear
Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization
Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Squash, Racquet Ball Or Paddle Ball: cross-group products nearest on danger score (34/100), estimated annual ER visits (4,243/yr), and hospitalization share (5.7%). 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.
Similar hospitalization rate
Nearest cross-group products by % of NEISS ER visits resulting in hospital admission.
Related Products in Sports Protective Equipment & Gear
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, Squash, Racquet Ball Or Paddle Ball ranks #482 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #309 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does squash, racquet ball or paddle ball rank on danger score versus ER volume?
Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, squash, racquet ball or paddle ball ranks #482 by PlainSafety danger score (34/100) and #309 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (4,243/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.
What are the most common injuries from squash, racquet ball or paddle ball?
The most common injury is laceration to the face, accounting for approximately 8,026 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from squash, racquet ball or paddle ball increasing or decreasing?
Down 46% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for squash, racquet ball or paddle ball injuries?
The 15-24 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 20,198 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by squash, racquet ball or paddle ball?
Of all ER visits involving squash, racquet ball or paddle ball, approximately 5.7% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (94.3%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with squash, racquet ball or paddle ball?
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.