It’s Not Just Football - Why Playground Falls Must Be A Part Of The Childhood TBI/Concussion Discussion

As awareness of childhood concussion and traumatic brain injury continues to grow, it is worth looking beyond sports and considering where younger children are actually encountering serious fall risks. Playground accidents can happen during ordinary childhood play, often when children are too young to participate in organized sports or consistently use protective equipment.

That makes one overlooked safety feature particularly important: the surface beneath the playground equipment.

As the Chief Technology Officer at Rubberecycle Corporation (which offers top quality rubber surfacing products for playgrounds), I have seen firsthand how frequently playground surfacing is treated as an afterthought (especially for backyard playgrounds). Parents carefully consider helmets for bikes and scooters, but they may give considerably less thought to what happens when a child falls from a swing, slide or climbing structure onto the ground below.

The reality is that the surface itself can play an important role in determining how much impact a child absorbs during a fall.

The Missing Piece in the Childhood TBI Conversation 

When parents think about preventing childhood TBIs, sports injuries may be the first thing that comes to mind. But falls are actually one of the most common causes of traumatic brain injuries in children, especially young children. Falls, including playground falls, are also among the most common reasons children end up in the emergency room. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, falls account for nearly 30% of pediatric trauma cases. 

Playground falls deserve special attention because young children are still developing their balance, coordination and judgment. A child can lose their balance or fall from playground equipment in just seconds. 

While not every playground fall results in a serious injury, a fall involving the head can have significant consequences. Concussions and other traumatic brain injuries can occur when a child's head strikes the ground with enough force. That's why playground safety isn't just about making sure equipment is sturdy and well maintained. The surface a child lands on matters, too. Choosing safer impact-absorbing surfaces can help reduce the risk of serious injury when falls happen.

The Ground Beneath the Playground Matters

One of the most common misconceptions parents have about playground safety is that grass or dirt automatically provide a soft landing. Unfortunately, natural surfaces can become compacted, worn or uneven over time. Grass beneath high-use areas can thin out, while soil can become increasingly hard. These conditions can provide considerably less impact attenuation than parents might assume.

Wood mulch can also shift, scatter and compact over time, which reduces consistent protection in high-impact areas. Rubber mulch offers a more durable, resilient alternative, as it maintains its cushioning properties without decomposing like wood mulch. For homeowners installing backyard playsets, this is an important consideration. A playground can have safe, properly installed equipment, but the surface beneath it is still part of the overall injury-prevention equation.

Understanding Impact Attenuation and HIC

One of the key measurements used in playground safety is the Head Injury Criterion (HIC), which evaluates the severity of an impact and helps assess a playground surface's ability to reduce the forces associated with a fall.

The goal of impact-absorbing surfacing is straightforward: if a child falls, the surface should help absorb some of the impact rather than transferring all of that force directly to the child's body and head.

This is why playground surfacing should not simply be viewed as landscaping around a playset. It is a functional safety component. Parents and property owners should look for surfacing that is appropriately tested for impact attenuation and installed according to applicable safety requirements and manufacturer specifications.

Why Impact-Absorbing Surfacing Should Be Part of the Playground Conversation

When planning a playground, the conversation shouldn’t stop at choosing the equipment. What’s underneath the playground matters just as much. Falls are an expected part of play, which is why impact-absorbing surfacing should be an integral part of any playground installation (not an afterthought).

Unlike grass, dirt, or other hard-packed surfaces, purpose-designed playground surfacing is engineered to help absorb the impact of falls. Options include rubber mulch, poured-in-place rubber and rubber tiles, each offering different performance characteristics and installation considerations.

Among these options, rubber mulch offers some of the strongest impact-attenuation ratings available for playground surfacing and can meet or exceed applicable playground safety standards when properly installed and maintained. Its ability to provide a resilient landing surface makes it particularly well suited for areas beneath and around playground equipment where falls are most likely to occur.

Rubber mulch also offers practical advantages for high-use play areas. Unlike traditional wood mulch, it does not decompose in the same way and can provide a long-lasting surfacing solution when installed at the appropriate depth and properly maintained.

The takeaway for anyone planning a backyard or community playground is simple: surfacing deserves the same thoughtful consideration as the equipment itself. A well-designed playground isn’t just about what kids play on; it’s also about what they land on. Bounce, not bruise.

It's Time to Expand the TBI Conversation

Parents should understand the risks of youth sports, but childhood TBI prevention shouldn’t stop at the football field. For young children, playground falls are an everyday part of growing up, making playground safety an equally important part of the conversation. To prevent childhood TBIs, we need to look beyond the football field (and beneath the playground).

Sheryl Berkley is the Chief Technology Officer at Rubberecycle Corporation, makers of Playsafer; a leader in rubber safety surfacing products for playgrounds and commercial establishments since 1996. The company specializes in impact-absorbing playground mulch, tiles and poured-in-place surfacing. A playground safety expert, Sheryl educates the public on best practices for safe play environments, the benefits of sustainable surfacing materials and strategies for preventing common injuries. For more information, visit: https://www.rubberecycle.com/