Burden of Sport Injuries in the European Union - Safety in Sports

59
10 | February 2012
The various characteristics of the sports lead to different distributions of accident
mechanisms (mechanisms causing the loss of control leading to the injury). Direct
bodily contact with other players have not unexpected the highest shares in rugby
(and American football) and football. Falling and stumbling play an important role in
all team ball sports, whereas the typical one-to-one situation causes many falls, although
in many cases without direct bodily contact with an opponent. Overexertion is
most frequent in handball with its frequent jumps and quick changes of directions of
movements (table/figure 25).
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Basketball American
Football
Handball Soccer Volleyball Field
Hockey
Table/figure 25: Accident mechanisms in selected team-ball-sports
Other mechanism
Contact with static object
Struck or kicked by a person
Overexertion, over-extension
Falling/stumbling/jumping
Contact with a person
Contact with moving object
Contacts with a moving object ply a dominant role in field-hockey, and an important
role in basketball, volleyball and handball, while the ball is the most common object
causing the accident (table/figure 26).