Supposedly Safe Pickleball Is Becoming a Contact Sport—For Your Face

Pickleball—the fastest-growing sport in the United States—is causing an alarming number of eye injuries.

In a study published yesterday in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology, researchers investigated the occurrence of pickleball-related eye injuries among patients who visited emergency departments in the United States and found that from 2021 to 2024, they increased by an estimated 405 injuries a year.

“This study found that pickleball-related eye injuries have increased at an alarming rate over the past 4 years as the sport continues to grow in popularity,” the researchers wrote in the study. “Eye protection is not currently mandated for casual or professional play. Establishing standardized guidelines for eye protection is recommended to reduce the risk of ocular injuries among players.”

1,262 eye injuries estimated just in 2024

It seems like everyone these days is trying their hand at the strange mix of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong. I myself first learned about the sport during covid-19, when people were desperate for any reason to get out of the house (but not desperate enough to learn how to play a serious sport like tennis… kidding!).

According to the study, pickleball’s low-impact nature and simple rules, among other features, make it accessible and broadly appealing. In 2024, there were around 19.8 million players in the U.S.

To study pickleball-related eye injuries, researchers analyzed data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, a government-funded database that collects information about consumer product–related injuries from a sample of around 100 U.S. emergency departments.

Between 2005 and 2024, the researchers identified 2,472 pickleball-related injuries, leading to an estimate of 137,471 injuries on the national scale. 73 of the 2,472 records reported eye injuries, or 3,112 eye injuries on the national scale—and they all occurred in 2014 or later.

The injuries resulted from accidents such as a direct hit by a pickleball, a direct hit by a paddle, or falling. Serious cases included retinal detachment, orbital fracture (breaking eye socket bones), and hyphema (bleeding in the eye). What’s more, 88% of the identified pickleball-related eye injuries took place between 2022 and 2024, with an estimated 1,262 taking place just in 2024.

Why the increase?

“Recent surveys have demonstrated that this growth [in pickleball participation] has been primarily driven by the influx of casual players,” the researchers explained in the study. “Although the increase in ocular injuries may simply reflect the increasing number of players, it is also possible that casual players are more susceptible to injury due to limited experience, unfamiliarity with the game, or lower level of physical fitness.”

In other words, it might be the rookies’ fault, though the researchers also noted that 70% of all pickleball-related eye injuries in the study happened to players 50 years old or older.

“Currently, no official guidelines exist regarding eye protection in pickleball. Increasing awareness for age-specific risk factors and establishing standardized recommendations for eye protection may help reduce injury rates and prevent vision loss,” the researchers concluded.