Concussion Injury Mechanism, Activity Combinations, and Positions Among High School Athletes in 20 Sports During the 2013–2014 to 2017–2018 Academic Years
| Sport . | Most Common Injury Mechanism and Activity Combinations . | n (%) . | Most Common Positions . | n (%) . |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys’ football | ||||
| Contact with another person while tackling on a defensive running play | 470 (11.2) | Linebacker | 531 (12.7) | |
| Contact with another person while being tackled on an offensive running play | 458 (11.0) | Running back | 489 (11.7) | |
| Boys’ ice hockey | ||||
| Contact with another person while skating | 44 (21.2) | Wing | 97 (46.6) | |
| Contact with another person while being checked | 35 (16.8) | Defense | 51 (24.5) | |
| Center | 26 (12.5) | |||
| Boys’ lacrosse | ||||
| Contact with another person while being body checked | 35 (10.8) | Midfielder | 111 (34.4) | |
| Contact with another person while chasing a loose ball | 26 (8.1) | Attack | 93 (28.8) | |
| Defense | 73 (22.6) | |||
| Boys’ wrestling | ||||
| Contact with surface during takedown | 184 (32.6) | — | — | |
| Contact with another person while sparring | 80 (14.2) | — | — | |
| Contact with another person during takedown | 77 (13.6) | — | — | |
| Boys’ soccer | ||||
| Contact with another person while heading the ball | 90 (17.1) | Midfield | 177 (33.5) | |
| Contact with another person during general play | 46 (8.7) | Defense | 103 (19.5) | |
| Forward | 98 (18.6) | |||
| Goalkeeper | 71 (13.5) | |||
| Boys’ basketball | ||||
| Contact with another person while rebounding | 51 (13.6) | Guard | 167 (44.4) | |
| Contact with another person while chasing a loose ball | 40 (10.6) | Forward | 110 (29.3) | |
| Contact with another person while defending | 39 (10.4) | Center | 43 (11.4) | |
| Contact with another person during general play | 38 (10.1) | |||
| Boys’ baseball | ||||
| Contact with another person while fielding a batted ball | 17 (12.5) | Outfielder | 28 (20.6) | |
| Hit by pitch while batting | 13 (9.6) | Baseman | 26 (19.1) | |
| Catcher | 20 (14.7) | |||
| Boys’ swimming | ||||
| Wall contact while turning off the wall | 4 (22.2) | — | — | |
| Contact with another person while swimming | 3 (16.7) | — | — | |
| Boys’ track and field | ||||
| Contact with field equipment while jumping or landing | 4 (16.0) | Pole vaulter | 8 (32.0) | |
| Contact with a surface while jumping or landing | 4 (16.0) | |||
| Girls’ soccer | ||||
| Ball contact while heading the ball | 141 (13.4) | Midfield | 349 (33.1) | |
| Contact with another person while heading the ball | 115 (10.9) | Defense | 231 (21.9) | |
| Forward | 222 (21.0) | |||
| Goalkeeper | 106 (10.1) | |||
| Girls’ basketball | ||||
| Contact with another person while rebounding | 70 (10.8) | Guard | 314 (48.6) | |
| Contact with another person while defending | 69 (10.7) | Forward | 176 (27.2) | |
| Contact with another person during general play | 67 (10.4) | |||
| Contact with another person while chasing a loose ball | 65 (10.1) | |||
| Girls’ lacrosse | ||||
| Ball contact while defending | 21 (10.0) | Midfielder | 56 (26.8) | |
| Ball contact while receiving a pass | 16 (7.7) | Attack | 54 (25.8) | |
| Ball contact while goaltending | 16 (7.7) | Defense | 43 (20.6) | |
| Ball contact while being stick checked | 16 (7.7) | Goalkeeper | 21 (10.1) | |
| Girls’ volleyball | ||||
| Contact with a surface while digging | 63 (14.9) | Outside hitter | 98 (23.2) | |
| Contact with the ball during general play | 59 (13.9) | Setter | 58 (13.7) | |
| Middle blocker | 56 (13.2) | |||
| Libero | 55 (13.0) | |||
| Girls’ field hockey | ||||
| Ball contact while defending | 18 (18.2) | Midfielder | 35 (35.4) | |
| Contact with another person while handling the ball | 13 (13.1) | Forward | 24 (24.2) | |
| Defender | 20 (20.2) | |||
| Girls’ softball | ||||
| Hit by a ball while fielding a batted ball | 23 (10.2) | Outfielder | 52 (23.1) | |
| Contact with another person while fielding a batted ball | 21 (9.3) | Baseman | 45 (20.0) | |
| Catcher | 23 (10.2) | |||
| Girls’ swimming | ||||
| Contact with another person while swimming | 5 (13.9) | — | — | |
| Wall contact while turning off the wall | 5 (13.9) | — | — | |
| Girls’ track and field | ||||
| Contact with a surface while running | 5 (14.3) | Pole vaulter | 7 (20.0) | |
| Cheerleading | ||||
| Contact with another person during a partner stunt | 116 (26.4) | Base | 223 (50.7) | |
| Contact with another person during a toss | 84 (19.1) | Flyer | 122 (27.7) | |
| Contact with another person during a pyramid | 55 (12.5) |
| Sport . | Most Common Injury Mechanism and Activity Combinations . | n (%) . | Most Common Positions . | n (%) . |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys’ football | ||||
| Contact with another person while tackling on a defensive running play | 470 (11.2) | Linebacker | 531 (12.7) | |
| Contact with another person while being tackled on an offensive running play | 458 (11.0) | Running back | 489 (11.7) | |
| Boys’ ice hockey | ||||
| Contact with another person while skating | 44 (21.2) | Wing | 97 (46.6) | |
| Contact with another person while being checked | 35 (16.8) | Defense | 51 (24.5) | |
| Center | 26 (12.5) | |||
| Boys’ lacrosse | ||||
| Contact with another person while being body checked | 35 (10.8) | Midfielder | 111 (34.4) | |
| Contact with another person while chasing a loose ball | 26 (8.1) | Attack | 93 (28.8) | |
| Defense | 73 (22.6) | |||
| Boys’ wrestling | ||||
| Contact with surface during takedown | 184 (32.6) | — | — | |
| Contact with another person while sparring | 80 (14.2) | — | — | |
| Contact with another person during takedown | 77 (13.6) | — | — | |
| Boys’ soccer | ||||
| Contact with another person while heading the ball | 90 (17.1) | Midfield | 177 (33.5) | |
| Contact with another person during general play | 46 (8.7) | Defense | 103 (19.5) | |
| Forward | 98 (18.6) | |||
| Goalkeeper | 71 (13.5) | |||
| Boys’ basketball | ||||
| Contact with another person while rebounding | 51 (13.6) | Guard | 167 (44.4) | |
| Contact with another person while chasing a loose ball | 40 (10.6) | Forward | 110 (29.3) | |
| Contact with another person while defending | 39 (10.4) | Center | 43 (11.4) | |
| Contact with another person during general play | 38 (10.1) | |||
| Boys’ baseball | ||||
| Contact with another person while fielding a batted ball | 17 (12.5) | Outfielder | 28 (20.6) | |
| Hit by pitch while batting | 13 (9.6) | Baseman | 26 (19.1) | |
| Catcher | 20 (14.7) | |||
| Boys’ swimming | ||||
| Wall contact while turning off the wall | 4 (22.2) | — | — | |
| Contact with another person while swimming | 3 (16.7) | — | — | |
| Boys’ track and field | ||||
| Contact with field equipment while jumping or landing | 4 (16.0) | Pole vaulter | 8 (32.0) | |
| Contact with a surface while jumping or landing | 4 (16.0) | |||
| Girls’ soccer | ||||
| Ball contact while heading the ball | 141 (13.4) | Midfield | 349 (33.1) | |
| Contact with another person while heading the ball | 115 (10.9) | Defense | 231 (21.9) | |
| Forward | 222 (21.0) | |||
| Goalkeeper | 106 (10.1) | |||
| Girls’ basketball | ||||
| Contact with another person while rebounding | 70 (10.8) | Guard | 314 (48.6) | |
| Contact with another person while defending | 69 (10.7) | Forward | 176 (27.2) | |
| Contact with another person during general play | 67 (10.4) | |||
| Contact with another person while chasing a loose ball | 65 (10.1) | |||
| Girls’ lacrosse | ||||
| Ball contact while defending | 21 (10.0) | Midfielder | 56 (26.8) | |
| Ball contact while receiving a pass | 16 (7.7) | Attack | 54 (25.8) | |
| Ball contact while goaltending | 16 (7.7) | Defense | 43 (20.6) | |
| Ball contact while being stick checked | 16 (7.7) | Goalkeeper | 21 (10.1) | |
| Girls’ volleyball | ||||
| Contact with a surface while digging | 63 (14.9) | Outside hitter | 98 (23.2) | |
| Contact with the ball during general play | 59 (13.9) | Setter | 58 (13.7) | |
| Middle blocker | 56 (13.2) | |||
| Libero | 55 (13.0) | |||
| Girls’ field hockey | ||||
| Ball contact while defending | 18 (18.2) | Midfielder | 35 (35.4) | |
| Contact with another person while handling the ball | 13 (13.1) | Forward | 24 (24.2) | |
| Defender | 20 (20.2) | |||
| Girls’ softball | ||||
| Hit by a ball while fielding a batted ball | 23 (10.2) | Outfielder | 52 (23.1) | |
| Contact with another person while fielding a batted ball | 21 (9.3) | Baseman | 45 (20.0) | |
| Catcher | 23 (10.2) | |||
| Girls’ swimming | ||||
| Contact with another person while swimming | 5 (13.9) | — | — | |
| Wall contact while turning off the wall | 5 (13.9) | — | — | |
| Girls’ track and field | ||||
| Contact with a surface while running | 5 (14.3) | Pole vaulter | 7 (20.0) | |
| Cheerleading | ||||
| Contact with another person during a partner stunt | 116 (26.4) | Base | 223 (50.7) | |
| Contact with another person during a toss | 84 (19.1) | Flyer | 122 (27.7) | |
| Contact with another person during a pyramid | 55 (12.5) |
Boys’ and girls’ cross country were excluded from because of concussion counts <10. —, not applicable.