Netball

An estimated 594,000 Australians aged 15 and over played netball in 2020–21 (ASC, 2021).  There were 1,500 injury hospitalisations attributed to netball—1,380 female and 120 male. For those aged 15 and over, the rate of hospitalisations was about 210 per 100,000 participants.

Disruptions related to COVID-19 lockdowns led to a drop in injury hospitalisations in 2019–20, and also affected the number in 2020–21 (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Trend in netball injury hospitalisations, by sex, 2011–12 to 2020–21

Visualisation not available for printing

For more detail, see data tables B3–4.

The highest number of hospitalisations in 2020–21 was in the 15–19 age group (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Age distribution of netball injury hospitalisations, 2020–21

Column graph showing the age distribution of injury hospitalisations.

Source: AIHW NHMD.

For more detail, see data table A14.

Just over half of these hospitalisations were for soft-tissue injuries (52%), while just over a third were for fractures (34%) (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Netball injury hospitalisations, by type of injury as a proportion, 2020–21

Bar graph showing the proportion of injury hospitalisations by main type of injury.

Note: Type of injury is derived from the principal diagnosis.
Source: AIHW NHMD.

For more detail, see data table A25.

There were 45 hospitalisations for concussion.

The main injury was to the leg or hip in 56% of cases (Figure 4).

Figure 4: Netball injury hospitalisations, by body part injured, as a proportion, 2020–21

Outline of a person with body regions labelled, marked with the percentage of hospitalised injuries for each region.

'Notes
1. Body part injured is derived from the principal diagnosis.
2. ‘Trunk’ includes thorax, abdomen, lower back, lumbar spine & pelvis.

Source: AIHW NHMD.

For more detail, see data table A26.

Where it was specified, the most common cause of injury was overexertion (34%), followed by falls involving an object (25%) (Figure 5).

Figure 5: Cause of injury as a proportion when specified, netball injury hospitalisations, 2020–21

Bar graph showing the proportion of hospitalisations by cause of injury when specified.

Source: AIHW NHMD.

For more detail, see data table A27.

Seasonal differences

Netball injury hospitalisations tend to peak in the autumn and winter months. The interruption caused by COVID-19 is evident in the drop from March 2020 (Figure 6).

Figure 6: Netball injury hospitalisations by month of admission, 2017–18 to 2020–21

Line graph with 4 lines for 4 financial years of hospitalisations by month of admission.

For more detail, see data table B3.