Pickleball players aren't protecting their peepers

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-02-27 10:20

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Less than half of Pickleball players surveyed reported wearing eye protection, according to a US study, which found that only around 20% of professional players and 45% of amateur players are wearing glasses. Most of the people who wore some eye protection also reported only wearing their regular prescription glasses rather than protective eyewear designed for sports. The authors say the rate of pickleball-related eye injuries has surged in recent years, and increased efforts are needed to educate pickleball players about the importance of eyewear use and improve the usability of eyewear to improve pickleball eye safety

News release

From: JAMA

Pickleball Players’ Reported Use of Protective Eyewear

About The Study: In this survey study, the rate of reported protective eyewear use was low among pickleball professionals and higher, but still less than half, among amateurs. Many players used personal prescription glasses, which may not meet the specifications for adequate protection. Given the rise in pickleball-related eye injuries, further efforts to improve the consistent use of high-quality protective eyewear seem warranted.

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Journal/
conference: JAMA Ophthalmology

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: Yale School of Medicine, USA

Funder: Conflict of Interest Disclosures: None reported.

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