Table 1

 Effect of injury definition on reported incidences of match injuries in a range of professional team sports at club and international levels

SportStandard of playDefinition of match injury (incidence per 1000 hours of player exposure)
Loss of timeAll medical treatments‡
Semi-inclusive*Fully inclusive†
NA, data not available.
*Players missed at least one match.12,13,34,35
†Players missed at least one training session or one match.7,8,10,15,36,37
‡Players required medical attention from the team doctor.11,14,33,38
¶Value calculated from injuries reported in international tournaments resulting in ⩾4 days absence.
§Value calculated from the reported incidence of 57 injuries per 1000 days of cricket assuming a six hour playing day.
Rugby unionInternational58 4218 4NA
Club45 1120 1NA
Rugby leagueInternationalNANANA
Club39 11NA346 11
SoccerInternational17¶3142 3181 31
Club5 1326 835 32
Ice hockeyInternationalNA79 7NA
ClubNA78 7NA
CricketInternationalNA2.8 10NA
ClubNA1.8 1010§ 33