Paintball Injuries: Statistics, Bruises & How to Avoid Them

Paintball has become a popular recreational activity in recent years. This fast-paced team sport offers excitement, team tactics, and plenty of adrenaline. At the same time, minor injuries such as bruises and contusions are inevitable. Major injuries, however, are rare. Various studies even show that paintball has a very low injury risk compared to many other sports.

Paintball injuries at a glance

As with any sport, minor injuries cannot be completely avoided in paintball. The majority of injuries are harmless and heal quickly. Typical examples include:

• Bruises: caused by the impact of the paintballs, usually on unprotected parts of the body.
• Bruises: occur mainly when bullets hit the body from close range.
• Strains and sore muscles: often caused by abrupt sprinting, ducking or changes in direction.

Less common, but still possible, are more serious injuries:

• Eye injuries: can occur when playing without a mask – therefore absolute protection is mandatory.
• Joint injuries: such as sprains caused by incorrect walking or twisting.
• Falls: while running, jumping, or dodging hits.

It's important to note that many of these injuries aren't caused directly by the paintballs themselves, but rather by the physical strain and rapid movements on the field. Many can be avoided with the right equipment and preparation.

Paintball Injury Statistics

Analyses by the NEISS of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission show that paintball has a very low injury rate compared to many other sports. The data is based on hospital-requiring injuries in US emergency rooms, extrapolated from a hospital sample system. Important: The NEISS identifies injuries that patients attribute to a product or activity—they are not necessarily caused by the product and also include associated injuries (e.g., twisting, falls, heat exhaustion). A summary can be found in the Minnesota Paintball League overview, based in part on data from American Sports Data, Inc. ( Paintball Safety Assessment ).

In short: With around 0.2 injuries per 1,000 participants, paintball is one of the safest sports in comparison, according to NEISS/ASDI evaluations.