Injuries in Quidditch: A Prospective Study from a Complete UK Season

Rachel Pennington, Ashley Cooper, Alastair C. Faulkner, Alasdair MacInnes, Thomas S. W. Greensmith, Alistair I. W. Mayne, Peter S. E. Davies

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    72 Downloads (Pure)

    Abstract

    Background: Quidditch is a mixed-gender, full-contact sport founded in the USA in 2005, played worldwide by an estimated 25,000 players. It is one of the few mixed-gender full-contact sports, yet there remain few published studies regarding injury rates and patterns. A previous study suggested that the overall rate of injury in quidditch is in line with other contact sports, however raised concerns that female players were sustaining a higher rate of concussion when compared to male players.

    Purpose: To examine injury rates and injury patterns in UK quidditch athletes over the course of a single season.

    Study design: Prospective epidemiological study.

    Methods: Data were prospectively collected by professional first aid staff for the 2017-18 season spanning all major UK tournaments, involving 699 athletes. Anonymized player demographics were collected by an online survey. Time loss injury rates were measured per 1000 athletic exposures (AEs) and hours of play.

    Results: The overall time loss injury rate was 20.5 per 1000 hours or 8.0 per 1000 AEs. The combined rate of concussion was 7.3 per 1000 hours or 2.8 per 1000 AEs. There was no statistical difference between time loss injuries in males (20.9/1000 hours and 8.1/1000 AEs) and females (13.9/1000 hours and 5.4/1000 AEs) (p=0.30) and no statistical difference between concussion rates in males (n=7) and females (n=4) (p=0.60).

    Conclusions: Total time loss injury rates in quidditch appear to be comparable with other full-contact sports such as football. The rate of concussions for both males and females appear higher when compared to other contact sports.

    Level of evidence: 3.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)1338-1344
    Number of pages7
    JournalInternational Journal of Sports Physical Therapy
    Volume16
    Issue number5
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 Oct 2021

    Keywords

    • Concussion
    • Equality
    • Gender
    • Injury
    • Quidditch

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation
    • Rehabilitation
    • Orthopedics and Sports Medicine

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Injuries in Quidditch: A Prospective Study from a Complete UK Season'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this