The Most Dangerous Sports in the World

American football has been under scrutiny over the past years due to the high incidence and long-term health consequences of head injuries. But American football is only one of the hazardous sports around the world.

Jai Alai

Found throughout Latin America and Spain, Jai Alai (pronounced hi-lie) is like handball or squash: you bounce a ball off a wall trying to prevent your opponent from returning it.

However, Jai Alai players use a “xistera,” a scoop-shaped glove, instead of a racket or hands. This enables them to whip the ball at speeds between 150 and 170 miles per hour.

The ball is made of goat skin, rubber, and metal. It’s harder than a golf ball.

The only protection Jai Alai players wear is a helmet, leaving the face exposed. Unsurprisingly, the rate of injury is very high and four deaths have been recorded. This is not a sport for the faint at heart.

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)

MMA involves two people violently trading blows with each other to achieve a knockout or tap-out. Injuries aren’t a bug so much as a feature.

Incidentally, fighters put themselves at extreme risk of debilitating injuries every time they step into the octagon. Concussions and long-term brain damage as a result of being knocked unconscious are only part of the equation. There are notable insistences of fighters breaking bones, dislocating joints, suffering lacerations, and more in the course of their careers. As just one example, in 2016 Evangelista Santos got hit so hard he had a dent in his skull.

Cheerleading

Cheerleading is an incredibly dangerous sport; if you’ve ever seen some of the acrobatics cheerleaders are expected to perform, you’d agree in a heartbeat.

Cheerleaders’ acrobatics cause the most problems. They are often thrown tens of feet in the air to perform flips and twirls, and they wear no protective gear. Naturally, things can get gruesome if no one catches them.

Head, leg, and back injuries are prevalent in cheerleading. It’s considered one of the most dangerous sports for women, as even practices can result in a trip to the hospital.

Bo-Taoshi

A more obscure sport from Japan, Bo-Taoshi (“pole bring-down”), sits at the intersection of capturing the flag and violence.

300 players are separated into teams of offense and defense. The offense wants to knock down a large pole. To do this, the team hurls itself towards the pole. The defense wants to keep the pole up. To do this, they hurl themselves at the offense en masse.

The result is an epic human dog pile, a mad scramble in which being kicked or punched in the face and body is an unfortunate but not unexpected consequence.

Yes, people get carted off the field quite a lot.

Street Luging

Street luging is like sledding. Just replace the snow with unforgiving concrete, and the sled with a luge that can go an average of 90 miles per hour and doesn’t have brakes.

Then add a course with tight turns and you’re good to go!

Deaths are rare in street luging but not unheard of. Severe injuries, on the other hand, are common.

Free Solo Rock Climbing

Almost all of the most dangerous sports at least make somewhat of an effort to have safety gear involved, even if it’s just a helmet. Free solo rock climbing doesn’t even pretend.

No harnesses. No hooks. No gear. Just you, a natural rock wall, and maybe some chalk to help your grip. Don’t fall. There are no second chances in free solo rock climbing.

References: The 20 Most Dangerous Sports in the World in 2023 | THE MOST DANGEROUS SPORT IN THE WORLD | jai alai: sport | Inside The Weird, Wild, Dangerous World Of Jai Alai | 10 Most Gruesome Injuries In MMA History | Cheerleading: The Most Dangerous Sport | Where Cheerleading Ranks in Safety Among High School Sports | Bo-taoshi: Japan’s Brutal Pole Toppling Game