Danger score versus ER volume
Danger score versus ER volume
According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2024, Tetherball (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) ranks #735 of 838 by danger score (27/100) at ER-volume #461 of 838 (1,631/yr). They are not the same ranking.
- #735
- danger rank of 838
- #461
- ER-volume rank of 838
- 27/100
- danger score
- 1,631/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 (27/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories
27 Among the lowest lower 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: 16/100
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) | 1 | 4th | 35% | CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index |
| Annual ER injury volume | 1,631 | 42nd | 30% | CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries |
| 5-year injury trend | -64% | 15th | 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 32,651 estimated ER injuries land on the body
Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 1276. Segments sum to 32,651 - 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 27/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for tetherball (activity, apparel or equipment) - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume 1,631 ER visits/yr Below median volume
- Severity (hospitalization rate) 0.6% Low admission rate
- Fatality rate 0.00% No recorded fatalities
- 5-year trend-64%
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 tetherball (activity, apparel or equipment) are declining by about 64% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2007 (2,989 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2020 (29 estimated visits). The single most common ER diagnosis is strain, sprain to the finger, accounting for approximately 6,530 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by fracture to the finger (4,067 cases). The 5-14 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 28,393 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 0.6% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
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 tetherball (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 | 136 | 73 | |
| 5-14 | 10,158 | 18,235 | |
| 15-24 | 1,051 | 1,152 | |
| 25-34 | 111 | 411 | |
| 35-44 | 144 | 335 | |
| 45-54 | 16 | 282 | |
| 55-64 | 139 | 209 | |
| 65-74 | 81 | 77 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Finger | Strain, Sprain | |
| Finger | Fracture | |
| Finger | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Finger | Other | |
| Wrist | Strain, Sprain | |
| Wrist | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Hand | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Head | Concussion | |
| Ankle | Strain, Sprain | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Wrist | Fracture | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Hand | Fracture | |
| Face | Laceration |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
8 YOF INJURED LT PINKIE FINGER WHILE PLAYING TETHERBALL AT SCHOOL TODAY. DX: CLOSED FX OF PROXIMAL PHALANX OF LT LITTLE FINGER
14 YOM HURT L KNEE PLAYING TETHERBALL AT SCHOOL DX; PATELLA DISLOCATION
7 YOM. FINGER PAIN WHILE PLAYING TETHERBALL AT SCHOOL DX: SPRAIN OF INTERPHANLANGEAL JOINT OF RT MIDDLE FINGER
4YOM,PLAYING TBALL WITH OTHER CHILDREN ACCIDENTALLY WALKED TO CLOSE TO ANOTHER CHILD AN SWING METAL STRUCK HEAD,DX:BHT
8YOF,UPPER ARM,FINGER PAIN AFTER TETHER BALL SEVERAL DAYS,DX:ARM CONT,SPRAIN FINGER
9YOF HIT LEFT FOOT ON TETHERBALL POLE AT SCHOOL. DX: CONTUSION OF LEFT FOOT
12YOF, ACCIDENTALLY HYPEREXTENDED HER THUMB WHILE PLAYING TETHERBALL DX: INJURY OF RIGHT THUMB
6YOM WAS PLAYING TETHERBALL AT SCHOOL AND WAS HIT BY BALL AND FELL BACK. DX: CONCUSSION
10YOF HAS WRIST PAIN AFTER SHE HIT A TETHERBALL AT SCHOOL. DX: LEFT WRIST SPRAIN
13YOF, WAS PLAYING TETHER BALL GOT STRUCK THE TOP OF THE HEAD SEEMED DAZED AND DID NOT RESPOND FOR FEW MINUTES THEN LATER FELL OFF THE COUCH WHILE ASLEEP STRIKING HEAD AGAIN DID NOT WORK UP RIGHT AWAY BUT WOKE UP CRYING COMPLAINING OF HEADACHE AND BECAME ANXIOUS DX: INJURY OF HEAD; CONCUSSION WITHOUT LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS
11YOM WAS PLAYING TETHERBALL AT SCHOOL WHEN PT BENT OVER AND FELT CRACK IN BACK, CAUSING HIM TO FALL DOWN. DX: ACUTE LEFT SIDED LOW BACK PAIN WITHOUT SCIATICA
8YOM HAS LEFT THUMB DEFORMITY AFTER PT WAS PLAYING TETHERBALL AT SCHOOL. DX: DISLOCATION OF METACARPOPHALANGEAL JOINT OF LEFT THUMB
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to tetherball (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 Tetherball (activity, Apparel Or Equipment): cross-group products nearest on danger score (27/100), estimated annual ER visits (1,631/yr), and hospitalization share (0.6%). 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 & 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, Tetherball (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) ranks #735 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #461 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does tetherball (activity, apparel or equipment) rank on danger score versus ER volume?
Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, tetherball (activity, apparel or equipment) ranks #735 by PlainSafety danger score (27/100) and #461 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (1,631/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.
What are the most common injuries from tetherball (activity, apparel or equipment)?
The most common injury is strain, sprain to the finger, accounting for approximately 6,530 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from tetherball (activity, apparel or equipment) increasing or decreasing?
Down 64% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for tetherball (activity, apparel or equipment) injuries?
The 5-14 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 28,393 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by tetherball (activity, apparel or equipment)?
Of all ER visits involving tetherball (activity, apparel or equipment), approximately 0.6% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (99.4%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with tetherball (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.