SATURDAY, Sept. 20, 2003 (HealthDayNews) -- While your backyard football game may not include the bone-crunching collisions of an NFL match-up, many of the same injuries can crop up.
Hip injuries make up 17 percent of all football injuries, followed by wrist and hand injuries at 15 percent, knee injuries at 14.5 percent, and ankle injuries at 14 percent, according to a study by the National Athletic Trainers' Association. Injuries to the shoulders, torso and head/spine each made up 10 percent of total injuries.
In professional, college and high school games, a third to a half of a team's players are injured for some period every year. Already at this point in the season, about 200 pro football players are listed as injured among the National Football League's 32 teams. Most of them will bounce back, but a few are already listed as injured for the entire season.
The trainers' association, in a study of high school injuries, found that 56 percent of injuries happened to the offensive lineups, while 36 percent happened to the defense and the rest to special teams. More than 60 percent of injuries occurred during practice rather than games.
For recreational players, common injuries include sprained ligaments and strained muscles. Younger players are more often injured in the hands, arms and shoulders, while older players are more commonly injured in the legs and knees, which can lead to chronic pain, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In all football games, health authorities stress players should wear proper safety gear and play on safe and soft ground. If safety gear isn't available, players should stick to touch football or flag football.
More information
To learn more about common football injuries, visit the National Athletic Trainers' Association.
