According to the Californian Consumer Product Safety Commission, playing billiards and pool accounted for 4,153 injuries bad enough to requiring emergency care during 1990. Second was 2,466 gained playing horseshoes (Whatever that is,) 2,216 playing marbles, and 1,732 at table tennis. Sounds like a lot of injuries to me. I had a friend who regularly banged his hand on the table in the follow through and had to retire hurt; and I've known one or two players suffer some very painful moments when getting a leg up on the cushion rail when they should have got the rest (they needed a rest afterwards) but Four thousand, one hundred and fifty-three - takes a bit of believing.