What Are The Most Dangerous Sports?

Anyone who plays or watches sports knows one unavoidable fact: risk is involved. Every sport has the potential to cause its participants to sustain injuries ranging from scraped elbows to fatal ones.

Each sport has unique perks and risks.

Most athletes, however, are not concerned about this since they are drawn to the glory, fame, pride, and money that come with becoming a professional athlete. Raising awareness of sports injuries is important since this is something that few people consider until it occurs.

In the last 12 years, ice hockey has had exactly two deaths worldwide, and soccer has had over 70 deaths on the field over the same period. The reason is some sports are simply more accident and injury prone than others.

1. Skiing / Snowboarding

Put your boots on and indulge in one of the most thrilling sports there is. You may run as fast as you wish while enjoying the fresh mountain air and stunning landscape. But anyone who has gone skiing knows the dangers, and in most parties who go skiing, at least one person returns hurt.

Broken bones, sprains, dislocations, concussions, and bruises are all frequent injuries. If you enjoy downhill skiing, one of the fastest non-motorized sports in the world, be ready for some serious tumbles. Even though snowboarding is far slower than skiing, snowboarders are more likely to get wrist, shoulder, and ankle injuries.

2. Field Hockey

Field hockey is not a contact sport according to the rules. However, collisions with other players, the stick, or the ball frequently result in player injuries. Although participants wear mouthguards and eye protection, injuries are still common in this sport.

These are still insufficient to stop all facial injuries, including broken teeth and concussions. Players getting struck by a field hockey stick or ball account for around 90% of all head and face injuries.

Additionally, the sport causes severe damage to players’ lower backs, knees, and leg muscles due to constant running and accidental contact. Ankle sprains account for more than 15% of injuries in field hockey.

3. Soccer

Soccer is a risky sport for several reasons since it is more well-known for its riots than for its players. That doesn’t stop it from being the most popular sport globally, with millions of fans gambling on online betting sites like Red Stag every year.

Soccer may not be a contact sport technically. Still, there is a lot that causes injury, especially when you consider that players are donning spiked shoes that more closely resemble weapons than athletic equipment. Because it is the most popular sport worldwide and has a low-scoring system where every point matters, the athletes take it very seriously.

Soccer injuries and fatalities have ended the careers of dozens of players.

4. NASCAR and Motocross

Millions of people tune in each year to witness the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), which debuted in the 1940s.

Drivers frequently exceed 180 mph, so some have been hurt and, regrettably, died in collisions. NASCAR has improved its driver safety standards over the past 20 years. For instance, “kill switches” are required to remotely turn off engines if the driver cannot do so. The flame-resistant suits that drivers must wear are another illustration.

All drivers must utilize the Head and Neck Support (HANS) Device, which protects drivers’ necks from going forward after renowned driver Dale Earnhardt died in a high-speed incident in 2001. Drivers are still at risk, though, despite the presence of these kinds of safety measures.

Despite the lack of a catastrophic collision, prolonged sitting or fume inhalation can still cause blood clots in drivers. Like other competitive sports, motocross pits competitors against one another while using powerful engines and ridiculous amounts of bravery.

Although motocross racers don’t travel as quickly as their NASCAR counterparts, they also have a lot less space between them and the track in the event of an accident. Motocross is one of the riskiest sports in the world because of this. One bad decision could easily be your final one.

5. MMA

In Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), two expert fighters compete against one another while grappling and hitting to either submit their opponents or compel them to “tap out.” Thus, it is not shocking that it is one of the riskiest sports on the globe is that one.

The chance of brain injury in mixed martial arts (MMA) battles is higher than in boxing or other martial arts since one of every three fights results in a knockout. The practice alone can be unbearable and dangerous even if a competitor is not hurt during a game.

Athletes are prone to tearing muscles, breaking bones, breaking ribs, and even suffering head or skull injuries. Lacerations, concussions, and contusions are the most common injuries because of the repetitive blows to the arms, neck, and head.

6. Basketball

Considering how little contact there is in basketball compared to most other sports, you might be surprised by this one. But it still is a risky game. You participate in a fast-paced game where players must race to get the ball in a constrained space while playing on hardwood floors.

A basketball game might result in one injury at most. Still, occasionally you will hear of someone falling and hitting their head on the court or, as happened to Dennis Rodman, a cameraman receiving a kick to the groin.

Conclusion

These six are some of the most dangerous mainstream sports. However, coaches, management, and players follow the rules for the most part, which makes them much safer and more enjoyable for the audiences.

Sterling Walker

“Hardcore beer fanatic. Falls down a lot. Professional coffee fan. Music ninja.”