Most Dangerous Sports
Sports were you are very likely to get hurt (or killed) while playing!
Per capita and overall... BY FAR the most dangerous. I did this for years and lost 2 friends with an additional 2 friends in a wheel chairs for life. Most of the guys I know have lost teeth and have had multiple concussions. I had to quit and moved onto mixed martial arts because I could not physically continue bull riding. If you consider X-games a sport, that also needs to be considered. Cheerleading is a joke, and soccer is what we do until puberty happens. I guess if you want a sport that consists of crying all the time... Soccer could only be second to basketball. Baseball is barely a sport because a position player could almost take a nap... If Prince Fielder is a major athlete in your sport... I'm just saying. He reminds me of golf's John Daly. Oh! And! Golf is NOT a sport. It is somewhere between darts and bowling.
Cheerleading, lacrosse and horseback riding more dangerous than bull riding? Who is doing this list, the members of the Harvard Country Club?
There is no sport more dangerous than bull riding. Did anyone see the story they did on HBO's "Real Sports? " Bull riders suffer one "significant injury" for every 15 events. The bull rider they interviewed listed his injures which included several concussions, 11 surgeries, broken wrists, collar bones, legs, arms, numerous ribs, and several fractures to his face when a bull stomped on his nose! (I don't remember all of them, but it rivaled the injuries of Evil Kenevil. (sp?
My niece rode horse (competition jumping) from 7 years old to 17 and never suffered anything more than a bruise.
I'm sorry. All my life, I've been watching bull riding, and never I've seen so many young guys get hurt or killed doing this. Yes, cheerleading is a VERY dangerous activity, but I think it's second to bull riding. You almost never see bull-riders above thirty. If they live that long, they retire. You see young guys in their twenties with no teeth who can barely walk, and I've seen plenty of young men get pounded into the dirt who have to be carried out on a stretcher, and next season you see then- in a wheel chair on the sidelines, paralyzed neck down. And sometimes, you never see them again.
I bull ride pretty much every other weekend at private place where we buck bulls to get them ready for rodeos. You get on a bull that weighs anywhere to 1500 to 2000 lbs and risk your life every time you just sit in the chute. As soon as the gate opens you have a heart beat to make your next move with the bull you don't have time to plan out move by move in a locker room or on a bench like most sports. If you mess up your on the ground if you break something you have to cowboy up and still get up and run your butt off to the nearest fence so you don't get run over or attacked by the bull. If that isn't the most dangerous sport out there then id like to see a cheer leader get on a bull and last for the 8 seconds id be surprised if they could last 4 seconds.

And apart from working with horses at the farm that I work a part-time job on, I also went on vacation to Australia, where I worked and rode on horses in Victoria's high country near the goldfields, way back in 2006 and again in 2013. I was pretty inexperienced back then and the person who runs the station offered me on the chance to go on a cattle drive, something that I was comfortable with. The horse, named Maple, was generally a well-trained mare, but at the end of the long drive/trail ride, I tried cantering up a hill, but then she thought, "I must... no, I must go faster!" and she took off galloping with me on the saddle. And she would never slow down. Luckily, I handled it like a boss and she calmed down quickly. The station owner then said that the sound of the whips cracking was what made her want to take off. So, yeah. I am working my way to becoming a better rider.
As someone who works a part-time job at a farm for a living, I have most certainly been around horses and rode them, too. I am pretty much a rookie rider (herding sheep on horseback, no problem, riding around the countryside, not a big deal for me, barrel racing/jumping, I would need to think about). the farm's horses are usually mares and they can be a bit of work, as you know you got to have the strength if you want to canter or gallop. Doing so without lessons can result in multiple injuries, or even fatal accidents. Bolting and rearing is also common, the farm's owner who teaches me how to ride warns me about that. So, yeah. Horseback riding takes lots of skill and many years of training, sure, but the most important thing is that horses are animals and you don't form a bond that easily with them.
There are so many fatal riding accidents that it is near impossible to keep count. Working around on with any living, thinking animal immediately presents obvious risks. Jade South, Jessica Forsyth and Emma Jonathan are just some names of promising young riders who have lost their lives doing the thing they loved most in the last 3 years. The first two names were girls of 14 years.
CHEERLEADERS, READ THIS. I have a few cheerleader friends who even admit that horseback riding is more dangerous. My sister's friend said that horseback riding was easy and that anyone could do it. She said that basketball was harder! Seriously? Then my sister put her on her barrel horse and told her to take her through the pattern. She started out because the horse was getting impatient with her and started rearing up and kept trying to bolt. She later said that it was harder than it looked. All because it looks easy, doesn't mean it is. Riders who know what they are doing make it look easy, but they are trying so hard. They don't know what to expect. We are always in suspense. I have been riding my whole life and have fallen off a total of 18 times. Once, I was loping bareback and my horse spooked at something. I was completely catapulted off of her, landed on my shoulder and then flipped down a bank. I hopped straight up to chase after my horse who was galloping home. When my ...more

I was in gymnastics for 9 years and had many minor injuries, but also had some serious ones. Such a difficult sport, and super dangerous. When I was 14, I fractured my wrist so badly that they thought they were going to have to amputate it from my elbow down. Luckily, I managed to go through 3 emergency surgeries and come out of my 4 day hospital stay with my arm! I know a lady who had to have both knee caps replaced, due to all the damage from gymnastics over the years. I have weak wrists and knees now, but I'd do it all over again if I could! I recommend this sport for males and females. It teaches you discipline, balance, flexibility, coordination, team work, etc. It is demanding, but well worth it.
Gymnastics should have been higher than cheerleading. Yea, you get thrown up in the air. Cool. But you have someone to catch you or break your fall. In gymnastics, nobody is there for you. Your crying under the bars, or on your neck by the vault all because you fell as hard as you ever could going as fast as you could towards the ground. Our practices go for 6 hours a day and up to 40 hours a week. Under the section "Cheerleaders number 3" it says they practice two hours a day. Most of us wish for practices like that we had in the beginning of our careers. The only reason why cheerleading was picked was because there are a lot more of you. In gymnastics, as the levels go up, the amount of people goes drastically down. Why? Because it gets extremely difficult. Conditioning isn't the most fun. But all of us suck up the hours of work for one reason: to win. Some of our requirements are ILLEGAL in cheerleading. And those aren't even our top level. And last time I checked cheerleaders ...more
Sorry guys... My daughter has done gymnastics for 10 years AND freshman (varsity) cheer & stunt. I've seen her brake toes on the beam, take falls from the bars, not clear back layouts and many other falls in gymnastics NONE have scared me nor has she ever received a serious injury doing gymnastics. She can NOT do cheer or gymnastics any more due to breaking her back doing a stunt. Her last game she was partner stunting, for those gymnast that don't know what that is, it is when the base (person holing her up) extends his arms straight over his head holding the cheerleader up by himself. Now think of the boy being 6 foot tall, add another few feet for his arms, now add 5 feet for the height of the cheerleader, now picture being 15 feet in the air over a basketball court (NO MATS) and the boy dropping you and you falling 15 feet onto a court with NO mats. BOTH sports are dangerous and gymnasts shouldn't say it isn't when they have never done it. Oh, and since she broke her back cheering ...more
Gymnastics is very hard. Have you ever fallen from 10 feet in the air? Or have a friend land a routine and collapse and have to be carried to the emergency room with a torn muscle? Plus we have to work out all year just to stay at the same level! Unlike football players who get a huge 2-3 month breaks in the middle of the year! Also we have to work out 20-25 hours a week! And the gyms aren't all air conditioned and aren't a perfect happy environment like the movies portray!
In gym I van beat every boy or football player in there and don't give me that crap about puberty. Every boy in that room has been through it or was going through it! They al thought I cheated but I didn't! Also, we may use mats but football played have all that padding!
Here's to the people who say cheerleading isn't a sport and that cheerleaders aren't athletes. The very definition of sport is, and I quote, "an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature. We practice just as much as you do. Every day of the week, 2 hours. We condition, We run, We do ab workouts and pushups and planks. No, we don't lift weights, we lift our athletes-and we hold them 10-15 feet in the air until our arms shake. Until our legs quiver. Don't doubt the flyers either. We have more muscle than you seem to think. The amount of balance, leg muscle, and core tightness it takes to stay in the air is unbelievable to someone who has never done it before. We run full speed at nothing, then flip in the air, twist, and land on our feet. We jump. We jump high-without a trampoline. Concentrating on pointed toes, extended legs, tight arms, jump height, facials, and smiling Ever based a basket toss? You get blood blisters on your hands. ...more
Every single time we (cheerleaders) throw a girl in the air everyone of us are taking a risk of getting killed! One wrong move could make her land on our heads and break our necks! One tiny mistake in cheerleading can leave many injuries! The reason it's so dangerous is because it's 5 different girls working together to accomplish one task and when one thing goes wrong all of them are at risk!
I'm not even going to start reading the things that people have said because I know that 90% of them are going to be negative things about cheer.
Cheerleaders listen up... It doesn't matter what other people think about cheer, all that matters, is that you enjoy what you are doing! I do all star cheer and high school cheer. Both are very difficult and dangerous.. And I know that, that's all that matters. Trying to prove to people that cheer is dangerous wont get you any where... No one understands until they try the sport. I know its frustrating and makes you angry when people say stuff about something you love so much, but you just have to deal with it.
And also just because you believe cheer is the most dangerous sport doesn't mean that you should say bad things about other sports. You don't like it when people say bad things about cheer and I'm sure other people don't like it when their sport is made fun of. Every sport is difficult and dangerous.. Not just cheer. ...more
Cheerleading is one of the most dangerous sport known to man and IS considers a sport because it take mental and physical strength to do what we do. We don't just stand there in mini skirts and pompoms shouting out cheers saying "Let Go Team" when we are off the field and in the gym practicing, we risk our whole life in there. We condition, practice, and do everything other sports do in their practices. But what we do is more dangerous than other sports cause when we're setting up a stunt, everyone in the group is risking their life each time the stunt goes up. While volleyball players and football players think that cheerleading is all about standing there looking pretty shouting out cheers and chant, I would like to see them come and join us at one of our practice and condition and do everything we do. Yes, we DO condition. You think it's easy throwing a girl up 20 feet in the air? Cheerleading is very dangerous and is on rope the hardest sport there is. You think it's easy doing ...more

I played football for around 11 years and this sport is more dangerous than cheerleading. Seriously, at the games the cheer leaders just sit behind us and start signing their cheers and doing what ever they do while there is a game going on. There's halftime when you go out on the field and do the pyramid or whatever, but most of the football guys and team are focused in what their coach is saying about what the heck is going on in the game. If you think doing planks and abs are really that bad, that's a breeze compared to what we do. Try being coached by an ex US Army Ranger, and doing the drills, such as Oklahoma and King of the Pitt. I've seen my fare share of team mates getting hurt, bloody noses and scratches from these drills, and even in the game. I recall a couple time an ambulance would have to come onto the field during a game and help a team-mate or player out. Seriously these injuries the players get put them in the hospital for a good week, concussions are usually the ...more
Football is one of those sports were every game someone is injured and can't come back for a few weeks! We put our careers at risk every day. One wrong move and you could have an injury that impacts you for the rest of your life. Also concussions from football affect you the rest of your life, a concussion you get in high school can come back 15-20 years later and kill you. That's why we have so much protection, how many other sports can you play with a broken arm and not really even notice it until you get back to the locker room. We play with broken toes, broken fingers, screwed up knees and shoulders, and many other injuries and not even come out of the game. Coaches constantly scream in your face and you can't get your feelings hurt, you just understand they're trying to help you. Cheerleading is not a sport more dangerous than football.
I play football right now. I'm 13 and it is the most roughest thing on your body. Considering that cheerleaders say it isn't hard. YES IT IS. I have almost been paralyzed by this sport because I was the safety. I'm also the quarterback and let me tell you. Trying to shake off all those defensive line players is hard. Also being the kicker which doesn't require contact but I have pulled several muscles in my calf and pulled my hamstring twice. Competitive cheerleaders are like were better but umm no you guys just stretch. And yeah you can hold people up but having to push the offensive or defensive line a
Take all your power and your drained after ten seconds. And we still have about an hour and a half to go not including the injuries the have all the paramedics come if there is an injury. I have personally put someone in the hospital for hitting them to hard near the rib area. And broke several ribs.. This is more dangerous than cheer.
Football is one of those sports where everyday there is an injury. I'm in the midst of my senior year of high school, and a game into my football season. At the end of each practice we are all bruised up, but I'd say every two weeks there is an injury that leaves us down a player. The risk of head injury is always there, the first day of hitting we had a player receive a serious concussion, not to mention a dislocated shoulder. Basically it comes down to this: there is constant contact in football, where you can get hit by guys who are 6'2" 225 and running a 4.7 40 yard dash. There is always a high risk of getting hurt, and most of the time it's more serious than the ankle sprains the cheerleaders at number one are getting.

Unlike most sports that require pads, boxing and MMA are pretty much raw fighting with just gloves and shorts. Unlike other sports where causing someone injury isn't always intentional, boxing and MMA are sports where people are really trying to hurt their opponent. I think purposely trying to hurt someone is worse than doing it on accident. Motocross, bull riding, and horse riding are things that I do not consider to be sports only because they require little to no actual physical activity. Cheerleaders don't wear pads either, so they can have that, bug most of the injuries caused are unintentional. That's why I think boxing and MMA are the most dangerous sports.
The damage boxers take over their careers is massive, not only during a fight but leading up to the fight. The hundreds of rounds spend sparring can be just as/if not as brutal as a fight itself. These guys are actually conditioning themselves to be able to take repetitive hits to the head. In other sports the risk of accidents are always possible, although in boxing and all other martial art sports there is no such thing as a freak accident.
Also, these guys are trained to hit and hit hard to the body and head. It's not like getting hit by any average person.
I don't care how many thumb downs I get on this comment, but all you people dissing cheer leading STOP. "Have you ever been hit in the face by a 12 pound mallet in the face going 20mph" you know what I have its called being kicked in the face by a flyer going way faster than 20mph. I have a question for YOU have you ever fallen on your face after being thrown into the air 10-15 feet after your bases/back dropped you! I don't think so! Backs/bases/flyers get major injuries every year to the back, head, etc. Trust me I'm not trying to dis boxing I know people are killed every year from,but so are cheerleaders.
All the other sports listed here besides this one, are all about injuries and danger. Boxing has the highest rate of documented deaths than any other real sport in the world. We are talking here about situations where brains detached from the skull due to straight lunches to the head ond from the sides, internal organ bleeding (liver and kidney failure). UFC is not even close to the dangers of Boxing because there are more variety of ways to win, but here, it's all blows to the vital areas of the human component.

Alright I've been playing hockey 3 years (now midget) each year was to hospital at least once, broken bone, fracture, sprains, I'm lucky! Coulda had some bad concussions, throat slit by a blade, its rough and some people go out to hurt people, on ice, its hard look what happened just the other week habs vs bruins, chara, that happens more than that, that was just serious, never know what can happen, horseback is dangerous too I do it, not as dangerous, but soccer? Come on seriously? Put some hockey players on the ice with just shin pads you see what happens then! We've broke the glass 3 times this year with pucks, a midget team! They're hard rubber and go fast.. Maybe not number 1, but past soccer? I think so
Hockey is definitely way more dangerous than cheerleading. All your flyers are light so it's easy. I can yell too. Let me see all of you cheerleaders try to skate on a nit even 1 inch blade on a sheet of ice. Yah you may say it's easy but step on the ice and play an actual game. On the ice, rotating shifts for an hour. Bet you couldn't do it. You're at risk for a blade to the neck to slit you're neck and after that. You're done. I play ice hockey and I'm a goalie. I mean let's see so, done else go stand in a little net and get shots at their body. All over. When someone is coming full throttle at you, you never know what could go wrong. Yeah we workout and train hard too. Cheerleading, isn't nearly as dangerous and tough as ice hockey.
Hockey should definitely be in the top 5! I've been playing adult league non checking hockey for 5 years and have had 3 concussions, 3 broken ribs, dislocated shoulder, and pulled quad, not to mention all the sprains and bruises from every game. I got slew footed tonight and landed flat on my back and could barely get my skates off after the game! One guy on my team caught a slap shot to the skate and ended up with 2 broken bones and surgery. Another caught a puck to the face and had 46 stitches inside and out of his mouth and was lucky got to keep his teeth. Another had his leg cut open by a skate and almost bled out before he could get to a hospital. Not to mention all the broken legs, collarbones, shoulders, and arms. I don't know how hockey is rated below cheer leading!
In football can you get a solid ball to fracture your jaw with one hit? Can you get a solid stick to hit any part o your body and break a bone easily? In hockey we use substitutes because we get injured, not out of breath. If you come away from a hockey match without a deep bruise then you weren't playing at all. In football all the players fake it so they can get a penalty. In hockey you pretend your not hurt and are desperate to keep going, however badly injured you are. If someone said hockey was not dangerous and football was, then I would happily hit them with my hockey stick in the face and repeat the question. Enough said.
I come from a small province in New Zealand with less than 100 000 people living in It. In the last year 2 people died and 1 was paralysed playing rugby just in my province. That's not including the countless broken bones, concussions and other injuries. In rugby if you run strait at someone and have a head knock you're gonna have a bad time. If you are in the middle of a ruck and the other team starts stomping with cleats you are gonna have a bad time. If you are in a maul and it collapses on you, you're gonna have a bad time. Rugby is bad if you want to be safe. This list pisses me off because people vote for their favourite sport, not the most dangerous one. My favourite sport is cricket and that pretty dangerous but not as bad as rugby. So don't vote for sports like soccer. Vote rugby because its bad.
(Ex South African here) I played Rugby many years and started playing American Football just this last year. I never realised it before but if you think helmet and pads make it easier you have no idea. That helmet becomes a weapon and it can really kill getting hit by it. The shoulder pads really aren't as softening as I thought they would be.
Additionally tackling in the air is permitted, so is shoulder barging. Heck you can get hit to kingdom come even if you're on the other side of the field as the ball... And you most likely won't see it coming either.
Now Rugby is a great sport and it is tough but unless you've played both like myself you can't talk about the pads.
Rugby should be one of the most dangerous sport out there. The men that play don't wear any pads and run around for 80 mins smashing each other. I have been playing rugby for 7 years of my twelve year of my life. I have witnessed some brutal injuries. I have broken 3 finger on one hand and 1 on the other, I have hurt my knee which will stay with me for a long time and still are in love with the game.
The beautiful game gives all of the pros lots of different problem in the brain and on their bodies. Just like broken legs, brain problems. This forces them to have lots of different surgeries and different life threatening treatments. This can force them to end there careers and possibly stop making money. In conclusion this game should be number one on the most dangerous sports list.
I'm not gonna lie, rugby is inanely dangerous. As a girl who played as scrum half for an all boys, highly competitive and selective rugby team until I was 15 I'm fully aware of the dangers. Luckily I managed to avoid major injuries myself but I have got knocked out a few times and dislocated my shoulder one time. I've seen guys get their ribs broken and I'll admit I broke one guys rib in a game and broke some dudes nose in an after match brawl... Meh sorry not sorry...
Anyways this sport should definitely be higher on this list as people have died playing the sport and I've seen some pretty horrific injuries...
It's the hardest sport to do cause of the tracks themselves. Several of the competitors died due 1 fatal error by slipping then falling down taking 7 others along with him. I jumped high over the crash then crashed into the border of the track sustaining fractured bones in the arms due to the walls and left leg by the dirt bike's weight. There were about 30 people in the race and over half got into the crash though I was the 8th person to crash, I don't remember anything after the crash but I was told that 19 people crashed and 5 people died and most were injured but not sure whoever was critically injured. 11 people were in the back and they were stopped before they reached the crash. Those people saw the whole thing after they stopped but they didn't see how it happened, just what it looked like when 19 of us were on the ground moaning, screaming, or knocked out. The race was canceled but 5 people who died were awarded the winnings for nearing the end and they were excellent in the ...more
Can be a very sketchy sport at time. It is not a matter of if your going to crash in motocross but rather a matter of when. In addition to the obvious risk of hurting yourself by making a subtile mistake off the face of a jump, while railing a turn, or pounding through a whoops section, there is always the added risk of another rider running into you, or even landing on top of you. This unfortunately most often happens when you choose to not take the "risk" of clearing a table top, triple, etc. That you may have not had a proper ability to safely. This can put you at much higher risk in that it opens a window for the rider behind you to loose one moment of focus and not realize that he in turn will have to double that triple or case that table top in order to keep you out of harms way.
Motocross is hands down the most dangerous sport. Broken arms and legs are a usual thing seen every season and even those injuries are considered to be a lucky break as many riders suffer injuries that leave them paralyzed or dead. Can't believe motocross is only 8th. I think it is because of its lack in popularity. Not to mention that it is an extremely skillful sport. I mean it looks easy because those guys are so damn good but trust me, go try to ride one of those dirt bikes on a track and you will be shocked. It is not only extremely hard but extremely scary. The average pro motocross racer suffers an average of 3-5 major injuries before the time they turn pro... And most of them turn pro between the ages of 16-17. That should give you an idea of the sports rigorous demands.
If people really think cheerleaders are number one because of practice and they never give up or what ever else let me educate you. I race motocross, its very hard and tiring every time you ride. You have probably 80lbs of gear to wear as well as trying to move a 350lbs machine in the air. Try doing that for 20 minutes of practice 20 minutes for moto 1 and then 20 more for moto 2. Also people may think the dangerous part is doing big jumps or going through holes, but the hardest thing is the start. You don't want to be in the back because you will not win so you want to be in front a simple concept everyone gets. Well on the start you have 10+ people racing as fast as they can into the first turn that is only 3 maybe 4 bike lengths wide. You cheerleaders or football or who ever try out motocross and let me know how it goes.

My brother has wrestled ever since he was 4 years old, he is 11 now, and he has had MANY injuries; he had to get a staple in the back of his head because he was head thrown into a table. He has also popped his elbow out of place when someone was arm barring/chicken winging him. I have wrestled for 4 1/2 to 5 years and even though I am a girl wrestler. I have popped my knee out of place, gotten a few bloody noses, black eyes, and been thrown so hard I couldn't breathe. Wrestling is a tough sport for anyone to do, a wrestler has to remember all the moves they have learned and know when to do them. They also have to be able to persevere through the 3 matches they have whether or not they are winning because there is always a chance. I believe that wrestling should be in THE TOP 3 but that's my opinion.
Wrestling should be number one I've played many sports baseball, basketball, lacrosse, soccer, football, and hockey. But in wrestling you get way more injures. I've wrestled for 4 years, baseball 9 years, basketball 5, lacrosse 6, soccer 5, football 4, and hockey for 3 years. Wrestling has became my favorite sport even though is still love football, lacrosse, and baseball the sports I still play currently. I think wrestling is the toughest it's practices are a hundred times harder and I've been injured more in wrestling than any other sport in my life. I've torn my ACL, sprained my knee, broke my hand, had 2 concussions, MRSA which is worst than staph infection, sprained and broken fingers, twisted ankles, and a broken nose, all in wrestling.
This is dangerous. They fall on their backs and faces more time in a single match than you guys probably have in your life. The stunts as well, falling through tables, getting hit with weapons like steel chairs, sledgehammers, iron baseball bats, doing flips and RKO's and stunts off of ladders. Falling on their back from 6+ feet sometimes, one 589 pound dude named Yokozuna had a finishing move where he would climb up 6 feet and jump rear first onto a guys ribs. Or the Moonsault Styles Clash, where the person doing the move makes the person bend down, then they pick the person up, with the person's legs around the guy performing the move head, he puts his legs over the person's arms about to take this move, then climbs up 6 feet, and backflips, and the dude falls 6 feet onto his chest. This is more dangerous than most sports, it can easily result fatally, and they are serious when they say don't try this at home.
Cheering I understand. But it's not more dangerous than BULL RIDING! Nor is it more dangerous than Lacrosse... Or Wrestling. Wrestling should definitely be in the top 5 at least! I've been a wrestler for years now and I KNOW how dangerous it is. Hell, I've had 7 practices so far this season (I'm writing this comment 2 weeks into season) and I have already re-injured my busted shoulder and my left leg is almost immobilized from landing on someones arm 50 times in ONE PRACTICE... It hurts. And I'm no softy. To the other posters, fear is inevitable. You must conquer it in order to be a successful anything. I believe that this article is biased... But so is every comment on it. Honestly, a cheerleader probably wrote it BUT... I'm a wrestler - just voicing my opinions. Every sport has it's risk - but there is no way that cheerleading is the MOST dangerous sport. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that wrestling is. I'm just stating my opinion.
P. S. - Lacrosse is probably #1 or ...more

Every lacrosse game, your nearly guaranteed to have at least one serious injury. In our last game, we had to stop 12 seconds early when one of the kids on the other team got sandwiched... Hard. Concussion. Dislocated shoulder. The whole shebang. We called in the ambulance and the kid didn't remember half of it the next day. The best part: it was a completely legal hit. Today. Our goalie got knocked unconscious by a hit. A guy got hit in the throat with a cross check (have you ever been hit in the throat by a guy sprinting at you? All we could do watch watch him squirm on the ground, struggling for air. ), and one of the guys on the other team took a shot on goal and hit our teammate straight in the head. That knocked him out for a little bit there too.
Cheerleading number 1?! Laugh out loud! Base jumping and caving should be number 1 and 2 no question. Lacrosse is probably where it should be at number 3. Our coach tore his rotator cuff playing college lax (which is pretty bad... It ruined his career permanently). 2 friends have broken their legs playing lacrosse in ground ball scuffles just this last season, and our goalie ended up coughing up blood after a taking hard hit. Personally, I haven't had it too bad, but I have taken a 90 mph solid rubber ball to the... Well balls. I was on the sidelines moaning and puking for a good hour. Also I've temporarily lost feeling in my arms after being checked, I've been knocked out, and taken some VERY uncomfortable checks to the stomach. In 2004 a player for Cornell was killed after being hit by a shot.
Lacrosse is extremely dangerous. My teams goalie got hit in the head 4 times in one game by a head on shot. After a game, I went to a restaurant and got sympathetic looks by the waitresses because of the number of bruises already forming. Plus, we play hard. If you're not ready for it, a metal stick can crush you and pin you to the ground. In one tournament, I got struck blocking a shot (I'm a defender) in the head. I stayed on cause my team needed me. Also, the championship of that tournament, 3 of our players had to come off the field: one with a ball to the skull, one with a broken wrist and fingers, and me with a sprained ankle. Flips and tucks are cool, but we are athletes. We risk our lives every game and practice. So tighten your bows and go cartwheel or something. I am a woman. You are girls.
Ok, lacrosse is by far more dangerous than cheerleading. To start off, people wear pads in these sports because they're an actual contact sport, unlike cheerleading. I've never been a cheerleader, but I do parkour and I know that the only reason you'd get hurt is if you are bad at it. If you get injured while cheerleading, you shouldn't be doing it.
I just got back from a lax tournament at a college, and there were so many injuries that day. One kid broke his nose from a ball before the games even started. When the games finally started, one kid got hit in the balls with a cup on by a direct shot and I guess he ruptured a testicle. Just next game, some kid broke his leg by a big hit. In that same game, a kid got a concussion. I guess last year, a kid came close to losing his leg or some .
I guess hockey deserves to be ahead of lacrosse because they do play on ice with skates. And they also lose teeth a lot, but some of the other sports shouldn't be. Getting hit by a cement and ...more
Someone explain how falling off a horse, getting tackled by a big buff guy, doing a flip two meters from the ground, doing an acrobatic move like a handstand on gymnastics floor, AND fighting a big bruiser is more dangerous than jumping between buildings over +10 stories high (plus doing acrobatics in solid concrete like a rolling front flip or a wall flip). If you don't think parkour is dangerous, you're pretty (by pretty I mean THE DEFINITION OF) stupid. I barely started training for parkour/free running like a few weeks ago (plus I watch a lot of professional parkour videos) and I already know I'm bound to fall on my back or bleed worse than that time my scooter's breaks failed, making that the worse bleeding of my life so far. If you knew what it feels like to climb really thin fences with little to no support to step on or jumping between quite big gaps, parkour would be number one. Please, tell me of a hobby that's more dangerous than doing stunts that if messed up the slightest ...more
Parkour is the MOST dangerous sport. Not only does it include flipping and jumping parkour happens to be on concrete. Any other sport the most height you could get was your height plus half. If you make the wrong move at the wrong time you are done for! Cheerleading there is no death involved just snapping bones or the worst injury is being paralyzed. When your up a 2 story building and you jump off and your head hits the concrete 1st its over. Horse back riding is NOT the most number 1 dangerous sport! Why are so many people voting for it?! A horse can break your bone BUT can't kill you! I think the problem is because people don't know about parkour.
Parkour/freerunning is not a sport, it is an art, and a discipline, so it shouldn't even be on the list, it should be above the list. I don't think horse back riding is not an art, it doesn't even match the definition of a discipline. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I hate parkour or anything, I love it, I train every day but, it shouldn't even be on the list for the reason I mentioned earlier and because its awesome that the list doesn't even deserve to have parkour on it.
Plus I like to see a Horse-back rider flip off a 10 foot wall or ump and stick on a bar for more than 10 seconds. I'd like to see Footballers and hockey players standing gainer on flat ground.
This is an amazing sport. It requires extreme skill and dedication if you want to get anywhere with it. You have to be in amazing physical shape and have more guts than most people. Could any boxer, football player, soccer player, rugby player, or any other player catch a parkour runner in a city NOPE you could not. We train the same way you do plus we do everything every sport focuses on when it comes to training. We train for everything. Now if you would all start jumping off you house roof and flipping over walls I would like to ask you how dangerous that is.

Let's take a tiny little horse riding jockey and even a light weight MMA fighter. The MMA fighter is going to have enough strengh to hold on and control a horse. The jockey wouldn't have any hope of winning! There fragile compared to any MMA fighter and would get smashed! MMA fyighters can take a hit and would have more than three times as much of a chance of survival of falling off the horse than any jockey. MMA fighters can kill with their bare hands! First let's take any MMA fight and see if they can ride a horse on a track without falling off. Then, let's take any jockey against any MMA fighter in a full fledged match and see how long the jockey can last! Jockeys can't beat MMA fighters!
I did a lots of sports (mostly martial arts) in my life (I am 38 now) and now I practice some MMA. It is incredibly dangerous! Not only the punches, the locks and chokes (these mostly makes little damage - face, muscle or bone injurie) but the other techniques are extremely brutal too. A suplex throw can cripple or even kill you, a single elbow punch or knee kick can break your facial bones or even damage your brain. On training the most important thing is wearing protectors, but on competitions there will be injuries, it is too bad but necessary.
I agree, mma is a serious contact sport. Just take a look on what happened to Anderson Silva vs Weidman and this is simply a instant damage which occurred in the moment, and do I have to even mention how damaged you get on longer terms which includes damages to the head area that affects your brain and so on. You also have ti be extremely physically fit ( In MMA you use every part of the body) You need to be strong flexible and fast, unlike other sports where one only uses hands foots and maybe some running..
I'm sorry, but seriously?! MMA should be at least #4 of this list! We have padding, only because if we don't, then our bruises and injuries can make us go into critical condition. I do taekwondo, which I know isn't the same as MMA, but in our Sparring Matches, at least two people are either injured or black and blue with bruises, even with how much thin padding we have. Literally, MMA is practically street fighting, but with deadly kicks and legpower combined with grappling and wrestling.
MUCH MUCH harder than it looks, easily #1, you must get a jump, and then steering is super hard to control, but if you don't steer well you will run into the edge of the cliff and die.
You must open the pursuit at the right angle, time and place if you want to stay alive, then, you must control your para-suit so that you land in the right spot.
The landing is also very dangerous as well, you could get seriously injured.
Famed base jumpers like Steve Sutton died only one year ago from a miscalculation in his wingsuit, striking an alpine ridge at 150mph approx; his body was so severely damaged DNA tests needed to be executed to determine it was his body.
More people than you think have met their demise through a base jump, it's an incredibly dangerous sport and profession. Anyone is susceptible.
BASE jumping is much more dangerous than any other sport on this list. How is cheerleading on this list? First of all, it isn't even a sport, and second of all, much more people have died from BASE jumping than from cheerleading. Actually, much more people have died from BASE jumping than from almost any sport.
BASE jumping should be first on the list because you have a much better chance to die then any other sport on here. This guy died testing out a parachute. I personally think it's more dangerous than skydiving because you can run into the edge of a cliff easier.
Rick climbing is easily one of the most dangerous sports out there. When your on belay, your relying on your equipment and abilities to stay alive, along with other people, especially your belayer, who literally has your life in their hands. If a piece of equipment breaks, or a rope snaps, your dead. Free soloing is even more dangerous, without any equipment to break your fall. Many companies such as Cliff don't even sponsor many free climbers any more, though many have amazing skills such as Alex Honnold. If you do a rate out of 1/3 between climbing and other sports measuring how dangerous they are, climbing will be sure to surpass the other sports by far. I love climbing and am extremely passionate about it, but it is extremely risky.
Easily the most dangerous sport on this list- free climbing should be at number one. Bouldering in the climbing gym has lead to finger injuries, neck injuries, back injuries, and (most of all) foot injuries. That, however, is probably the safest category in this extremely variable sport. Even in the gym, lead climbing has lead to permanent paralysis and broken bones in many places (I.e. the arm or leg). With the next clip right at your chest and the previous one six feet down, you are looking at a fall that could give easily give you whiplash. These circumstances, however, don't even come close to outdoor free climbing. On a multipitch route, you are relying on your skills and equipment to keep you alive. Bolts may not be drilled in correctly, carabiners may be poorly designed, rockfall and/or lose holds may be extremely common. All of these instances could lead to death. Not only is this sport one of the most physically demanding, it is also one of the most mentally challenging. You ...more
Free climbing should easily be #1, most people won't climb a tree to the top let alone a vertical rock. Angles 90 degrees or more, no ropes... Thousands of feet up. How is horseback riding anything compared to this.. You see this should be judged off of the consequence of making a mistake. You make a mistake horseback riding or cheerleading then yes you can get hurt I'm not saying there is no danger, but you make a mistake free climbing and your paralyzed from the neck down, consider yourself lucky.
Free climbing(rock climbing) can get some one extremely injured or even maybe killed! If you are on belay and something goes wrong and the person accidentally drops you... I went on a few other websites and they said rock climbing was either number 3-5... That doesn't even mention when some one's free solo climbing! That's when you climb with no rope what so ever!... I think this website is completely under estimating free climbing on so many levels
It's extremely rare for a parachute to just "not open" and is usually the result of careless packing when it happens. And you also have a reserve that has to be packed by an FAA certified rigger. Not to mention your AAD that automatically fires if you become incapacitated. Non-jumpers don't realize that almost everyone that is killed or injured skydiving does so underneath a fully open and functional parachute. People don't die from equipment malfunction; people die when they get careless, complacent, or cocky and do something stupid underneath their canopy.
Check out group tracking. Two people head to head at 100 mph+
Myself and two friends in wingsuits did a head to head with vertical distance between us just to see reaction time needed to spot and veer. No chance. From spot to passing each other was a couple of seconds. Seriously deadly.
Out of 3,000,000 made last year there were 31 fatalities. That is 1 per 100,000 jumps 60 percent of those were under a perfectly good canopy but made low dangerous turns or collided with another jumper. a couple were suspected suicide. So actually it is relatively safe. If your parachute malfunctions your second chute can deploy extremely fast. This is why we train.
I would've voted for equestrian because I am an equestrian and I know that if we fall off we could die. But, yeah, sky divers win my vote because if that parachute ain't opening your pretty much dead.

In rugby people are intentionally trying to get you down, plus you have no protection. People on the ground getting stepped on by a 180 pound man with cleats doesn't feel good. Yes sports like motocross are dangerous but in moto people aren't trying to hurt you. For every rugby game you play there is a guarantee that you will be sore, and if your lucky you won't be injured. Imagine running at full speed and then having another person running full speed tackling you from the side, the impact on your spine and ribs is brutal, knocks the reach out of you and makes you feel like throwing up, but you have to keep running and keep tackling, rugby is not for the weak and it is dangerous no doubt. Not as dangerous as skydiving but certainly more dangerous than soccer and cheer leading and moto!
Scrums can be pretty dangerous if they fall apart. I was second row in the scrum. Once the scrum fell apart, my left arm got jammed between two people and was forced up while the rest of my body continued downwards. Very nearly broke my arm that day. Also had a scare when after a hard tackle I felt my neck pop and could have sworn right there I had broken my neck. Luckily that was not the case, but it still cost me the rest of the game. I have seen someone's leg broken during a game before. The thing is, this game can be safer if North American players learn to love the sport of Rugby for the GAME and not the HITTING. Communicate with your team, work together, and if you're going to hit, hit smart.
What's this stupid theory about NFL players running harder because they have pads? Laugh out loud. Obviously a theory made up by people who have never seen a State of Origin, or any Rugby League for that matter.
It relies on the premise that Rugby League players aren't already running and tackling as hard as they can, when they clearly are.
Also, Rugby League is designed in a way that players run head on with each other every player, not all different angles across the field. They line up, sprint at each other, collide, get back up and do it again.
For 80 minutes non stop, non of this stop start change teams crap. It's about endurance as well skill and power, and fatigue also causes injury.
Rugby League is definitely the most dangerous sport. Just check the amount of injuries and time spent out of the side on average each year, much higher than any other sport.
Last year a 16 year old was killed trying to make a tackle by putting his head in the wrong position. Even in the lower age groups with not much power there is always risk of serious injury.
The toughest and most dangerous sport in the world.
If it was played in America it would be number one on this list (they probably think of Rugby Union instead of Rugby League). As you can see the top 7 sports are all prominent there, this is the first one that isn't.
How is this not at #1 or close to that. Ok cheerleaders see you on the mountain. Lets really put you to the test. So basically to start out you save up a few thousand even to start. Then you fly 5000 miles or so to your destination. Then you take a never ending hike up the mountains and through all the villages with 30 pounds on your back the entire way. Finally you make it to the mountain out of breath and sweaty but cold. As time goes on air becomes more and more of a need until your taking 20 steps with one breath. You can't even enjoy yourself once you get to the top because you have to rush back down due to the lack of oxygen. This may sound like it's a two or three day trip. Try two or three weeks. Or even months depending on weather. You stick to your competitions, we will stick to our goals to survive.
Okay, first of all we have to set some boundaries here. What defines dangerous? And what defines sport? Do we conclude that it's the number of deaths tolled that defines it dangerous, or the number of injuries? It would be almost impossible to account the number of injuries in any sport, so lets go with fatalities. Now horseback riding is a hobby, where as horseback racing is a sport. Yet both have had numerous fatalities. Horseback racing has had 26 documented deaths that happened during a race. Boxing has had 57 documented deaths during or shortly after a bout do to the punishment received in the match. As someone pointed out below, there has been over 290 deaths while climbing Mount Everest. And that's just one of the nine 8,000 meter mountains that gets climbed on a regular basis. Now add in some of the smaller peaks that has taken lives and we're probably looking at over a thousand fatalities due to mountain climbing... and yet, if I had to choose a sport / hobby / living that I ...more
Ok so with some mountains there is a 70-80% chance of death. Cheerleading is like a 20% chance of death at max. Cheerleading would be cool, if some of these girls would shut the hell up and try an extreme sport and stop saying that cheer is the hardest thing ever. Climbing a large mountain needs tons of strength to carry 30 pound back packs for some climbs at over 50 miles +. Also don't forget the fact that the air is so thin. You take about 10 steps very slowly before you can get a full breath of air. Really come on I rather be thrown and fall from 15 feet into the air onto a mat than fall 2000 feet on cold hard spikes that shoot up from the ground.
If we consider life or death issues, Mountaineering is up there. Close to 300 people have died attempting to climb the Everest alone. Well over a thousand deaths for 8-thousanders climbs, and plenty of deaths in smaller climbs as well.
As a percentage of people attempting the climb, fatality rates in mountaineering are far far higher than they are in any of the sports listed in the top ten.
And if we compare the seriousness of injuries, one should remember that a broken bone or a trauma of some kind occurring during a climb is made far far worse by the lack of access to medical services. If you break a body part while cheerleading, you get rescued within seconds and minutes later you are in the emergency room.
Cheerleading is tough, it's very challenging and fortunately, it's not even close to being one of the most dangerous sports.
Of course it's a sport; it's in the sports pages, not real estate pages. The brainless "not a sport" claim is actually to purport that it's not an athletic endeavor. And it is a brainless claim, to say that maintaining forceful yet precise and lightning-fast control of the car for over an hour when g-forces are peeling the muscles off your bones at all times and the engine is roasting you, doesn't take superb fitness. Anyway, the American College of Sports Medicine studied this argument and put it to bed, saying that top race drivers are in fact "elite athletes."
I know lots of people consider motorsports not a real sport, because you are just turning a wheel or ride a bike. The physical aspect is more hidden than in other sports but it's definitely there. These guys have to be super fit in order to endure a race. For example a Formula 1 race takes up to two hours, two hours where you have to perform at the absolute limit. I mean they have to hold their bodies up to 6g. Normal people wouldn't last two laps around a circuit. And the mental part? Would you head straight for a wall with over 300 kph? Most people are afraid to go over 200. But that's car racing, motorbike racing is at least in my opinion even more dangerous. They have a little bit of protection against the tarmac but have you ever seen a high side? They are flying through the air with over 100 kph and land on solid ground. The sole reason the injury rates aren't that high are the limited spots in a race. In the average season about 24 riders take part, and at least 2 or so will ...more
Racing gets my vote, but only because of what it once was, not for what it currently is. No other sport that I can think of would have to include burning to death as a realistic risk of competition. However, it is way safer now than it was in the 70's and earlier, especially at the higher levels of the sport.
Racing should be #1 on this list. Heaps of legendary people have died doing what they love. In racing small injuries are uncommon, but if someone gets hurt, you know it is really bad. Also your always on the edge, one small mistake and most times your gone. It just has a very dangerous nature.
Not just specifically mountain biking but DOWNHILL/FREERIDE. The most intense sport I do and definitely the most exhilarating. Snowboarding does not produce the same amount of adrenaline (yes not just groomers but the terrain park) one slip up and very easy to get injured. Even more dangerous than motor cross in my opinion. DH is a growing sport and you will definitely hear about it in the future.
Should be number one, obviously people haven't been stupid enough to try it heh guys. That moment when you do a jump of a small cliff and you fall of, you stand up with your hand feeling brused, you brush it off ride down the hill with your bike and later the next day find out your broke your hand. We pretend we are not hurt on myb unlike football where they cry over a graze.
Why is this right at the bottom!?! I do downhill biking, and honestly, mosr of my mates have had a broken bone or two in the past two years. Combine 20+mph speeds with incredibly steep, incredibly Rocky terrain, then ride a mountain bike down it, and this is the sport you get! How if football more dangerous than this!?!
Mountain biking should be way higher on this list. Loads of people have ben killed or seriously injured coming off a jump. I myself did a small jump and the wheel twisted on landing and I came off the bike and landed on it. My back hurts for weeks!
Whoever thinks Freediving isn't dangerous, think again! Holding your breath for 5 minutes while swimming downwards to 70+ meters on one breath of air in shark infested waters! For starters an average human will pass out after 3 minutes of no oxygen in the brain. 70 meters deep is e very long way down and requires as much mental strength as physical strength to get down there. "Horses are an unpredictable animal" Do you know what else is an unpredictable animal that is much more dangerous than a horse: sharks. Have a think, what would you rather; be 50 meters underwater with a great white swimming up to you? Or racing a horse?
My dad is a free diver and he loves the sport. It takes a lot of training and patience my dad has taken courses in Florida and trains at least 4 times a week. The farthest he drove down was 190 feet a lot of people aren't aware of this sport. Not so long ago one of my dad's friends had a blackout when he was diving and died it is extremely important that you never go free diving alone always had a buddy with you
Many dangerous element including limited air, extreme underwater depths, currents, poisonous snakes, sharks, getting stuck, blackouts, disorientation, if spear fishing then we encounter excited sharks, barracuda, other predators and entanglement. Did I mention all on one breath?
There are only about 5, 000 free divers around the world. It's a unique sport. An estimated 100 people die from free diving every year. This is compared to an estimated 20 deaths per year from horses, which is a far more popular sport.
With free diving, you are working against yourself.
Wow, Luge is after walking? This is one of the most dangerous sports ever! If you flip over have fun scraping your face off, and god knows what else. You go incredibly fast and you have little hand holds to grab onto, if you slip there goes your fingers! If you do flip and go sailing through the air, no one knows if you'll land without busting your head wide open or worse death! How is walking more dangerous?!?!

Anything could happen to you when surfing, it could be a normal day and you go for a wave and fall and this time you hit your head on a rock or sandbar. It is unpredictable, just the slightest shift in the wind can decide whether you'll make out the way you went in. Your board could pop up and hit you, you can cut your face, foot, leg, etc. You can get held under water and drown. And then of course there is the fact that are sharks and other fish in the water that could mistake you for a meal. Surfing is so unpredictable which makes it such dangerous sport.
I recently watched the film, Soul Surfer, on my DVD player. The film had a professional championship surfer, Bethany Hamilton (AnnaSophia Robb), who had her right arm cut off by a massive tiger shark but that didn't stop her from achieving her dream of becoming a surfer girl. Inspired by a true story, Soul Surfer is based off the book of the same name by Bethany Hamilton (published by Gallery Books but produced by MTV Books, a sublabel of MTV Networks, a division of Viacom International). You could find this book in the childrens section at Barnes & Noble.
I've seen numerous amounts of surf injuries including seeing sharks, stingrays, jellyfish etc. Surfing can't be compared with all those you call dangerous sports. You can also get hit by the rocks or the reef and those are fatal or really painful injuries. Surfing those huge waves like mavericks is super dangerous because you got the reef the rocks the cold water the sharks and the wipeout so that's probably the most dangerous or one of the most dangerous sports in this list
I have AN UNREAL AMOUNT of respect for surfers. As an equestrian I was very happy that riding was number one, but I think it very well ties with surfing. I am petrified of the ocean and I could never have the guts to do what you guys do. Sharks, coral, the fact that your field is literally trying to kill you, yeah, I think surfing should be AT LEAST in the top five, and I've never even been surfing.
Cliff diving is quite dangerous if you know how to land but at the same time its quite fun;I've been cliff diving before and it was amazing. People should just be aware of their surroundings... Rocks, shallow waters you get the point
Diving in General is dangerous if you do it wrong you can get seriously hurt!
Jumping from a high cliff can give you a thrill... Or a heart attack.
Hit not it from before

What the.. This list is a popularity contest. Just because the few elite, super humans that play water polo are too busy training, some other athletes on the internet are just saying their sport is harder! Like honestly its 9:18 PM right now and the only reason I'm here is because I just got out of my 4 hour practice and I don't want to do homework.
Please, any of you people in other sports would die drowning in your bathtub. You guys practice your sport by jogging every day and lifting weights. You can't do that for water polo, because other than swimming, it's a sport on a different terrain. We are the few, the proud, the water polo players.
Um I'm sorry but water polo is seriously tough. We not only have to strong legs from treading and lunging forward but strong core muscles mixed with a strong arm to throw the ball across a 25 yard-long pool. In the rules of water polo anything is legal as long as it doesn't impede the motion of the ball, so many of us sustain injuries from punches kicks elbows. My best friend received 10 stitches in her chin from being elbowed in the face. Another friend of mine broke both orbital bones and nose from getting kicked in the face during a turnover. I'd like to see a football player, wrestler, or soccer player try to survive one conditioning and leg workout, because those things are not easy.
I have been playing water polo for a year and a half, and I have never seen a more vicious sport. I have tried a lot of the sports that are above this, and there is no way they are more dangerous than it. How many other sports are there where people are actively TRYING to drown you?
No offense to anyone, but at the moment dance is above this, and that is ridiculous. How many people end up with ripped costumes and bloody noses? How many people breathe in water and end up nearly coughing up a lung, just to continue playing?
Watching high level water polo is exhilarating, but even out of the pool it's kind of terrifying how physical it is. So many people get injured during games just to keep playing!
Good god, how the hell is this sport not in top ten? This list is oviously based of of popularity. In one game, one person broke their nose, one a broken arm, and I broke 3 fingers. The refs only call stuff above water. Everything else goes. If you have the ball, anything is legal. Id like to see you football girlies even get through one water polo practice. Pinching, grabbing, puching, kicking, drowning, it all is all okay. I wont even mention the leg strenght required. I am the whole set, so I have to deal with all the biggest players, I will always have straches and bruises after every game. Cheerleading? Football? How are they harder? This list is stupid. Especially the cheerleading part