Professional athletes understand that there is an inherent risk of injury when playing sports. It's a part of the game. But does the casual weekend ball-player or neighborhood scrimmage team also understand these risks? In 2019, there were more than 3.7 million injuries from sports or recreational activities that required an emergency room visit, according to the National Safety Council. Many of these injuries occur just outside the home on driveways or in backyards, which could spell trouble for homeowners if a sports injury happens on their property. "While the sources of outdoor injuries are often mundane, overlooking these ever-present risks could be costly for homeowners, especially if they lead to hospitalizations of others," writes Andrew Hurst, technical writer at ValuePenguin. "Being the subject of even one lawsuit can substantially increase the cost to insure your home and cast a shadow on your summer fun. ValuePenguin recently analyzed which sports cause the most injuries outside the home. We spotlight those activities in the slideshow above. Sports injuries have steadily decreased year-over-year from 2015 to 2019, and ValuePenguin expects that trend to continue for 2020. "Stay-at-home orders, self-isolation and quarantines have sheltered most Americans for a quarter of the year," writes Hurst. "We predict injuries from outdoor activities could decrease by more than 92,000 compared to 2019." Related: |

• Common summer insurance claims and how to avoid them
• What to expect for the '100 Deadliest Days' of summer 2020
• The 10 most dangerous youth sports in America