Is Pickleball Safe for Seniors? What the Research Says About Injury Risk

Pickleball is wildly popular with seniors, which naturally raises the question of safety. The honest answer is balanced. There are real risks worth understanding, but the research points to a few manageable causes rather than the sport itself.

Can seniors get hurt playing pickleball?

Yes, and injuries are common enough to plan for. A 2025 nationwide survey of 1,758 pickleball players, published in the journal Sports Medicine Open by Owoeye and colleagues, found that 68.5 percent had at least one injury in the past year, and 40.8 percent of those injuries stopped play for at least a day.

What the data shows:

• Overuse injuries lead the list. The Owoeye survey found 35.3 percent of injuries were overuse or chronic conditions, more common than sprains or muscle strains.
• The knee takes the most hits. Knee problems affected 29.1 percent of injured players in the survey, followed by the lower leg, shoulder, back, and elbow.
• Fractures are the exception, not the rule. In the same survey, fractures made up 4.8 percent of injuries reported by women and 1.4 percent reported by men.
• Age raises the odds. Players between 33 and 77 had significantly higher injury risk than players 18 to 32, according to the study, and the 48-to-62 age group had the highest injury rate at 77.3 percent.
• Emergency department data tell a sharper story. A 2026 study in Sports Health, using national emergency department records, found players 60 to 79 had higher odds of wrist and hand injuries and of fractures than younger players, with falls as a major cause.

These numbers describe overuse and joint strain more than catastrophic injury for the typical senior player. Falls are the exception that send some seniors to the emergency room.

How does the risk compare, and who is most at risk?

Risk is concentrated in older bodies more than spread evenly across the player base. No published study ranks pickleball’s injury rate directly against football or tennis, so treat any cross-sport comparison with caution. What research does show is which seniors carry the most risk within the sport itself.

The fuller picture:

• Falls drive the emergency department visits. Research published in 2025 in Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation found that pickleball-related fractures in older adults are rising in emergency departments nationwide, and that nearly half of all pickleball injuries come from hitting the floor.
• Fractures track with age more than with effort. The 2026 Sports Health analysis of emergency department data found players 60 to 79 had roughly 75 percent higher odds of a fracture than younger players.
• Overuse injuries like pickleball elbow come from repetitive motion, not from a single bad moment on the court.
• Existing conditions raise risk more than age alone. Osteoporosis, joint problems, and heart disease change how a fall or a hard rally affects the body, more than birthdays do.
• Balance and reaction time decline gradually with age, which likely explains why the 48-to-62 group in the Owoeye survey had the single highest injury rate of any age group studied.

Seniors who get regular checkups and follow their doctor’s advice are managing the risk factors that matter most here.

How can seniors play pickleball safely?

Get cleared, build up slowly, and train balance. Falls are the biggest driver of serious injury, and falls respond to conditioning, balance work, and good footwear. A few habits address most of the documented risk.

Safety steps:

• See your doctor first. Ask for a heart-health check before ramping up cardio activity, and ask about osteoporosis screening if you have risk factors for it.
• Build a fitness base with CDC activity guidance. The CDC recommends that adults 65 and older get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week, muscle-strengthening activity on two or more days, and regular balance exercises such as standing up from a seated position.
• Warm up before every session using the best pickleball warm-up routine to prevent injury.
• Train balance and agility year-round, which directly reduces fall risk. See the guide on whether pickleball is good for balance and fall prevention.
• Move your feet instead of backpedaling, and skip diving for balls you cannot reach safely.
• Wear real court shoes built for lateral support and quick stops, not worn-out running shoes.
• Know when a nagging pain needs a professional. See the guide on when to see a doctor for a pickleball injury, and for more prevention steps, see the guide on pickleball injury prevention.

These steps let most seniors enjoy the sport’s benefits at a manageable risk. For more on those benefits, see the guide on the benefits of pickleball for seniors.

Frequently asked questions

Is pickleball safe for older adults? For most seniors, yes, it is a relatively low-risk way to stay active. A 2025 nationwide survey found 68.5 percent of players report an injury within a year, and emergency department data show a higher fracture risk in older players, but both risks respond to medical clearance, gradual conditioning, and balance training.

Can seniors get hurt playing pickleball? Yes. The Owoeye survey found overuse conditions and joint strains are the most common complaints, while a 2026 Sports Health analysis of emergency department records found older players face higher odds of fractures, most tied to falls. Most of these are preventable with the right precautions.

What is the most common pickleball injury in seniors? According to the 2025 Owoeye survey, overuse and chronic conditions are the most reported complaint overall, followed by joint sprains and muscle strains. Fractures are less common but rise sharply with age, according to the 2026 Sports Health emergency department analysis.

Is pickleball more dangerous than other sports? No published study ranks it directly against other sports. What research does show is its own injury profile: falls cause a large share of emergency department visits among older players, and fractures feature heavily because of the older player base and hard court surfaces.

Should you see a doctor before playing pickleball? Yes, especially before increasing cardio activity or if you have heart, bone, or joint conditions. A checkup, in line with CDC activity guidance for older adults, helps catch issues early and lets you play with more confidence.

How can seniors reduce injury risk? Get medical clearance, build activity gradually using CDC guidance, warm up and train balance, avoid backpedaling and diving, and wear proper court shoes. These steps target the overuse and fall risks that the research above documents.

Pickleball rewards sensible precaution more than natural talent. The research is consistent on this point: overuse and falls, not the sport itself, drive most of the injury risk seniors face on the court. Build a base with a doctor’s sign-off, train balance year-round, and wear shoes made for the court, and browse the Pickler Junction physicians and therapists directory to find a sports-medicine provider or physical therapist near you. This article is general information, not medical advice.

Written by the Pickler Junction Team.