Striking against or struck by sports equipment (W21) ICD-10-CM
The W21 code range covers striking against or struck by sports equipment with 104 ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes. 72 of them are billable and valid for claim submission in fiscal year 2026, and the category headers group them but cannot themselves be billed.
Type 1 Excludes
A type 1 excludes note is a pure excludes note. It means "NOT CODED HERE!" An Excludes1 note indicates that the code excluded should never be used at the same time as the code above the Excludes1 note. An Excludes1 is used when two conditions cannot occur together, such as a congenital form versus an acquired form of the same condition.
- assault with sports equipment Y08.0
- striking against or struck by sports equipment with subsequent fall W18.01
7th Character Note
Certain ICD-10-CM categories have applicable 7th characters. The applicable 7th character is required for all codes within the category, or as the notes in the Tabular List instruct. The 7th character must always be the 7th character in the data field. If a code that requires a 7th character is not 6 characters, a placeholder X must be used to fill in the empty characters.
- The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category W21
7th Character
Indicates that a seventh character is to be assigned to codes in a subcategory.
- A - initial encounter
- D - subsequent encounter
- S - sequela
Codes in the W21 Range 104 codes · 72 billable
- W21 Striking against or struck by sports equipmentNon-billable
- W21.0 Struck by hit or thrown ballNon-billable
- W21.00 Struck by hit or thrown ball, unspecified typeNon-billable
- W21.00XA Struck by hit or thrown ball, unspecified type, initial encounter
- W21.00XD Struck by hit or thrown ball, unspecified type, subsequent encounter
- W21.00XS Struck by hit or thrown ball, unspecified type, sequela
- W21.01 Struck by footballNon-billable
- W21.01XA Struck by football, initial encounter
- W21.01XD Struck by football, subsequent encounter
- W21.01XS Struck by football, sequela
- W21.02 Struck by soccer ballNon-billable
- W21.02XA Struck by soccer ball, initial encounter
- W21.02XD Struck by soccer ball, subsequent encounter
- W21.02XS Struck by soccer ball, sequela
- W21.03 Struck by baseballNon-billable
- W21.03XA Struck by baseball, initial encounter
- W21.03XD Struck by baseball, subsequent encounter
- W21.03XS Struck by baseball, sequela
- W21.04 Struck by golf ballNon-billable
- W21.04XA Struck by golf ball, initial encounter
- W21.04XD Struck by golf ball, subsequent encounter
- W21.04XS Struck by golf ball, sequela
- W21.05 Struck by basketballNon-billable
- W21.05XA Struck by basketball, initial encounter
- W21.05XD Struck by basketball, subsequent encounter
- W21.05XS Struck by basketball, sequela
- W21.06 Struck by volleyballNon-billable
- W21.06XA Struck by volleyball, initial encounter
- W21.06XD Struck by volleyball, subsequent encounter
- W21.06XS Struck by volleyball, sequela
- W21.07 Struck by softballNon-billable
- W21.07XA Struck by softball, initial encounter
- W21.07XD Struck by softball, subsequent encounter
- W21.07XS Struck by softball, sequela
- W21.09 Struck by other hit or thrown ballNon-billable
- W21.09XA Struck by other hit or thrown ball, initial encounter
- W21.09XD Struck by other hit or thrown ball, subsequent encounter
- W21.09XS Struck by other hit or thrown ball, sequela
- W21.1 Struck by bat, racquet or clubNon-billable
- W21.11 Struck by baseball batNon-billable
- W21.11XA Struck by baseball bat, initial encounter
- W21.11XD Struck by baseball bat, subsequent encounter
- W21.11XS Struck by baseball bat, sequela
- W21.12 Struck by tennis racquetNon-billable
- W21.12XA Struck by tennis racquet, initial encounter
- W21.12XD Struck by tennis racquet, subsequent encounter
- W21.12XS Struck by tennis racquet, sequela
- W21.13 Struck by golf clubNon-billable
- W21.13XA Struck by golf club, initial encounter
- W21.13XD Struck by golf club, subsequent encounter
- W21.13XS Struck by golf club, sequela
- W21.19 Struck by other bat, racquet or clubNon-billable
- W21.19XA Struck by other bat, racquet or club, initial encounter
- W21.19XD Struck by other bat, racquet or club, subsequent encounter
- W21.19XS Struck by other bat, racquet or club, sequela
- W21.2 Struck by hockey stick or puckNon-billable
- W21.21 Struck by hockey stickNon-billable
- W21.210 Struck by ice hockey stickNon-billable
- W21.210A Struck by ice hockey stick, initial encounter
- W21.210D Struck by ice hockey stick, subsequent encounter
- W21.210S Struck by ice hockey stick, sequela
- W21.211 Struck by field hockey stickNon-billable
- W21.211A Struck by field hockey stick, initial encounter
- W21.211D Struck by field hockey stick, subsequent encounter
- W21.211S Struck by field hockey stick, sequela
- W21.22 Struck by hockey puckNon-billable
- W21.220 Struck by ice hockey puckNon-billable
- W21.220A Struck by ice hockey puck, initial encounter
- W21.220D Struck by ice hockey puck, subsequent encounter
- W21.220S Struck by ice hockey puck, sequela
- W21.221 Struck by field hockey puckNon-billable
- W21.221A Struck by field hockey puck, initial encounter
- W21.221D Struck by field hockey puck, subsequent encounter
- W21.221S Struck by field hockey puck, sequela
- W21.3 Struck by sports foot wearNon-billable
- W21.31 Struck by shoe cleatsNon-billable
- W21.31XA Struck by shoe cleats, initial encounter
- W21.31XD Struck by shoe cleats, subsequent encounter
- W21.31XS Struck by shoe cleats, sequela
- W21.32 Struck by skate bladesNon-billable
- W21.32XA Struck by skate blades, initial encounter
- W21.32XD Struck by skate blades, subsequent encounter
- W21.32XS Struck by skate blades, sequela
- W21.39 Struck by other sports foot wearNon-billable
- W21.39XA Struck by other sports foot wear, initial encounter
- W21.39XD Struck by other sports foot wear, subsequent encounter
- W21.39XS Struck by other sports foot wear, sequela
- W21.4 Striking against diving boardNon-billable
- W21.4XXA Striking against diving board, initial encounter
- W21.4XXD Striking against diving board, subsequent encounter
- W21.4XXS Striking against diving board, sequela
- W21.8 Striking against or struck by other sports equipmentNon-billable
- W21.81 Striking against or struck by football helmetNon-billable
- W21.81XA Striking against or struck by football helmet, initial encounter
- W21.81XD Striking against or struck by football helmet, subsequent encounter
- W21.81XS Striking against or struck by football helmet, sequela
- W21.89 Striking against or struck by other sports equipmentNon-billable
- W21.89XA Striking against or struck by other sports equipment, initial encounter
- W21.89XD Striking against or struck by other sports equipment, subsequent encounter
- W21.89XS Striking against or struck by other sports equipment, sequela
- W21.9 Striking against or struck by unspecified sports equipmentNon-billable
- W21.9XXA Striking against or struck by unspecified sports equipment, initial encounter
- W21.9XXD Striking against or struck by unspecified sports equipment, subsequent encounter
- W21.9XXS Striking against or struck by unspecified sports equipment, sequela
About the W21 Code Range
The ICD-10 code section W21 is used to classify injuries caused by being struck by or striking against sports equipment. These codes specify different types of sports-related impacts, such as being hit by balls, bats, sticks, or other sports gear.
This section covers injuries from various sports equipment including footballs, soccer balls, baseballs, golf balls, basketballs, volleyballs, softballs, and other balls, as well as bats, racquets, golf clubs, hockey sticks and pucks, sports footwear like shoe cleats and skate blades, and diving boards. For example, the ICD-10 code for being struck by a football is W21.01, while being hit by an ice hockey stick is W21.210. Notably, synonyms such as "accidentally struck by thrown ball" or "accident while engaged in sports activity" are linked to codes like W21.00XA. The section also differentiates between initial, subsequent encounters, and sequela (long-term effects) by using seventh-character extensions, helping medical coders document the stage of treatment accurately. This detailed coding system supports accurate identification and reporting of sports equipment-related injuries for clinical and billing purposes.
Questions About This Page
How many billable codes are in the W21 range?
Of the 104 codes in this range, 72 are billable and valid for claim submission from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Category header codes group them but cannot be reported on claims.
What does the W21 range classify?
The range classifies striking against or struck by sports equipment. Each code links to its own reference page with billing status, MS-DRG grouping, coding notes, and clinical information.
Related References
Source: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM Tabular List and order file, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
