Falls in pickleball: why they happen and how to avoid them
How do pickleball falls happen, and what lowers the risk?
By Pickleball Safety editors · Published October 4, 2026 · Last reviewed October 4, 2026
How falls happen
Most pickleball injuries that end up in the ER start with a fall. Researchers at Mount Sinai went through US emergency room visits from 2013 to 2022 and found that 65.5% of pickleball injuries came from falling [1]. Another team, using records from 2004 to 2023, put it a bit lower: about half were caused by hitting the ground [2].
What puts players on the ground? A 2026 review pulled together 15 studies of leg and foot injuries in adults. Falls led the list. Next came running or lunging forward, then rolling a foot or ankle [3].
What falls cause
Age changes the picture. In players 60 and older, 56.1% of injuries came from hitting the ground, the highest share of any age group, and that group also had the highest share of wrist injuries and fractures [2]. One 2026 review lists wrist fractures, rotator cuff tears and ankle sprains among the injuries players get most often [4].
We looked at federal ER data for 2011 to 2025 too. The head was the body part hurt most often, with about 18,729 visits (95% confidence interval 7,128 to 30,330). The wrist was close behind at about 16,812 (8,007 to 25,617) [5]. Our estimates don't break injuries down by cause, so we can't say how many of those were falls. Broken wrists get their own guide.
Lowering the risk
The authors of that 2026 review recommend a dynamic warm-up, balance training, advice on footwear made for the sport, and regular checks of the court surface [3]. Another review makes a similar case for warming up and for wearing the right shoes and gear [4].
For older adults, the CDC's general fall advice is short. Do exercises that build leg strength and balance; tai chi is one. Get your eyes checked at least once a year. And ask a doctor or pharmacist whether any of your medicines might make you dizzy or sleepy [6].
If you fall
Hit your head? Call 911 or get to an emergency room right away if you notice a seizure, trouble recognizing people or places, repeated vomiting, growing confusion or agitation, passing out or struggling to stay awake, slurred speech, weakness or numbness, a headache that keeps getting worse, or one pupil larger than the other [7].
Catching yourself with your hand is the most common way a wrist breaks. A break usually hurts right away, swells and bruises, and the wrist may look bent [8]. The wrist fracture guide lists the signs that mean you should go straight to the ER.
Sources
- Increasing incidence of pickleball injuries presenting to US emergency departments: a 10-year epidemiologic analysis of mechanisms and trendsYu J, et al. Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, 2025A published estimate to compare our own numbers with.
- Pickleball-related geriatric fractures and pediatric equipment-related injuries are increasing in emergency departments across the United StatesLee PM, et al. Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation, 2025How often injuries come from hitting the ground, and which injuries are most common in players 60 and older.
- Lower extremity injuries in adult pickleball players: a systematic review of injury types, mechanisms, and risk factorsOkhovat A, et al. Cureus, 2026The main causes of leg injuries, and the prevention steps the authors recommend.
- Common pickleball injuries and preventionSquali B, et al. Orthopaedic Nursing, 2026Common pickleball injuries and recommended prevention steps.
- National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) dataU.S. Consumer Product Safety CommissionThe case records behind every injury estimate on this site.
- Preventing falls and hip fracturesCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, 2026Steps older adults can take to lower their fall risk.
- Signs and symptoms of concussionCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, 2025Danger signs after a blow to the head that need emergency care.
- Distal radius fractures (broken wrist)American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, OrthoInfoHow wrists break, the signs of a broken wrist, and when to go to the emergency room.