If you’re a big fan of sports such as basketball, football, boxing, and other sports that involve a lot of physical contact, you’re probably going to have a big change in scenery once you start following athletes that play sports that involve little to no physical contact between players.
The same goes for people who play contact sports and transition to non-contact ones. They’ll be surprised by how different the game feels because other players are too far from them, or they’re not used to bashing limbs with people they’re playing with.
While both contact and non-contact sports are fun and work for different types of sports fans, athletes, and casual players alike, they both come with their own pros and cons. In this case, we’re going to take a good look at the ups and downs of non-contact sports.
What are non-contact sports?
Non-contact sports are played with participants competing in alternate spots or lanes, are physically separated, usually by nets, which make it impossible for them to be in physical contact with each other for the game’s whole duration.
The absence of physical contact doesn’t affect the game in any way, nor does it affect the performance and qualification of people playing the non-contact sport.
Common examples of sports with low physical contact involved are tennis, badminton, running, volleyball, archery, golf, and rifle shooting. The common setup of these games is players setting up their own spaces, using that space without other players, and playing the rules of the game far apart.
Another thing these examples have in common is that they can all be played indoors. Badminton games are always played indoors, along with table tennis. This is due to the fact that the “ball” used in both games is light enough to be carried by the wind of even the lowest intensities.
Golfing is also a game that’s more known to be played indoors, but there’s an increasing number of indoor driving range facilities players use to practice their swings or actually play the game.
Aside from badminton and table tennis as two low contact sports that are mainly played in indoor settings, the rest we’ve mentioned are absolutely fine to be played outdoors. Some are even made to be played that way.
What are the pros and cons?
If you’re looking to play sports but don’t want to be physically engaged with other people basking in their sweat and probably getting injuries, you can look at many low contact sports to play. They’re usually more relaxed compared to contact sports and won’t require you to move around as much. What can you get from low contact sports?
There’s little room for inflicting or getting injured because of another player.
Even if getting injuries while playing sports is completely ordinary, that doesn’t make getting a bruise or a broken bone feel better. Some injuries can be minor, you can even play through them, but some can render a player from permanently staying out of the game. We’ve seen this happen to some high-profile athletes in the National Basketball Association and in National Football League.
While some injuries in high contact sports can happen without a player being in contact with another, low contact sports totally eliminate opponent or teammate-inflicted injuries, albeit unintentional.
The chances of you getting elbowed in the face by another player in contact sports are higher than getting hit by a tennis ball in the same sport in low contact sports.
The other side of the coin
But the problem with non-contact sports is that players are highly susceptible to overuse injuries such as tennis elbow, shoulder impingement, and stress fractures. The reason behind this is that athletes who play low contact sports have longer training hours. In those long training hours, they use repetitive motions with the same parts of their bodies.
Practice does pay off, but the consequences that come with long training hours using the same motions through the same parts of your body can do a number on athletes.
Even casual players are familiar with overuse injuries. For example, you go golfing for a few hours with your buddies and you conclude the day feeling the strain on your arms legs, and back take its toll on you.
While both non-contact and contact sports can’t take injuries and accidents off their respective coattails, athletes and trainers alike are taking extra steps to avoid injuries. As they can stop an individual from engaging temporarily and permanently. But they’re not easy to avoid when you’re drowning in competitive adrenaline.
