Pickleball-related eye injuries on the rise: study

FILE: People practice pickleball on the courts of CityPickle at Central Park's Wollman Rink, Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

Pickleball is becoming a hit amongst Canadians, but as the sport’s popularity grows, so too do the number of injuries.

In addition to the regular knee and shoulder pains, a new study from the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) finds that pickleball-related eye injuries have increased over the past four years.

The results show that between 2005 and 2024, there were an estimated 3,112 pickleball-related ocular injuries. An estimated 1,262 of those injuries occurred in 2024 alone.

The study also found that eye injuries from pickleball increased by 405 cases annually from 2021 to 2024, and most of these injuries occurred amongst players who were 50 years or older.

Tony Scavarelli, who has been playing pickleball for over three years, says there are a few reasons why more eye injuries are occurring.

“The one thing I find about this sport, until you get up to a certain level, you are not really hitting the ball or controlling it,” said Scavarelli, who is a certified coach at a local Winnipeg pickleball club. “Once you get to a higher level, you have a lot more control with that ball and the paddle, so it’s not going to happen as much.”

Scavarelli says he’s only seen a couple of people get hit by the ball in the head throughout his time playing the sport and says it can happen at anytime.

“I’ve been hit once in the side of the head, so I haven’t seen a lot of it, but it’s there,” he said.

The report from JAMA finds some of the more severe eye injuries include retinal detachment and orbital fractures, from either a direct hit from the pickleball or by a paddle.

John Khanuja, the manager of Pickle Haus, Manitoba’s first dedicated indoor pickleball facility, said it’s very easy to get to get distracted and take your eye off the ball.

“With badminton, you generally have a higher net, you’re not going to see the smash coming down as much over here,” he said. “In pickleball, it’s a tennis-sized net. You’re generally a little bit lower. People lob in this game a lot more than they did before, as well. So, you have that downward momentum.”

“People may not have their paddle is the right place to secure it and people might not be expecting it as well.”

But he also said the sport has transitioned to a faster game over the last few years.

“Novice leagues, amateur leagues, intermediates are all really good, but once you get to that advanced league, you are definitely seeing momentum, faster paced, harder hitting, and a lot more smashing,” he said.

Optometrist sees more patients with injuries

Dr. Nadine Shelton has seen a handful of patients for pickleball-related injuries this past summer.

“The impact is for sure important,” said Dr. Shelton, who is the owner of NV Eye Care & Eye Wear in Winnipeg. “Usually, because something is hitting a tissue, it’s going to cause inflammation.”

Dr. Shelton said patients have come into her office with blurred vision and pain, but each case is different.

With a pickleball being plastic with lots of holes, depending on where it hits, she said it could scratch the eye.

She says people should wear eye protection even though it’s technically not mandatory.

“We are going to recommend wearing glasses, wearing sunglasses, there are sports glasses, safety glasses,” she said. “We have had groups of people coming in, sometimes as a pickleball team, getting sports glasses or safety glasses to protect their eyes.”

Dr. Shelton said people need to be more aware of the dangers a sport like pickleball could have on your eyes if proper protection measures are not used.

“You only have two eyes. You have to protect them,” she said. “It’s always the ‘after-the-fact’ when someone has an injury and they say, ‘I should have used safety glasses, and I should have been more careful.’ At that point, it’s too late.”

“You need to be proactive and know that this could happen,” she said.

It’s the same message on safety that Scavarelli says he will give to new players, so they too can enjoy the sport he loves.

“Eye protection is very important,” he said. “When I do my clinics, I mention the safety aspects of the game and in any game, you want to play safe.”

“The number one thing to this game is having fun; so, having fun, is playing safe,” he said.