Quote:
Originally Posted by JRutledge
... we report the incidents, that is pretty much it. If a player is hurt we already remove them from the game. If is involves CLS, then they just have to inform us we are coming back. We report similar to a teacher that can report abuse or other things with children.
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Do you have a responsibility, as an official, to immediately remove from the game any player who exhibits signs, symptoms or behaviors consistent with a concussion (loss of consciousness, headache, dizziness, confusion, or balance problems), and/or to not allow them to return to play until cleared by an appropriate health care professional (not the coach)?
If so, that may come with some legal liability issues if an official doesn't remove such a player from the game, or allows said player to return with just a coaches recommendation (as in a middle school game), and they suffer more serious injuries as a result of continuing to play, or because of being allowed to reenter. That could be viewed as legally negligent behavior.
Thanks to our State legislature, we don't have that problem here in Connecticut. If a coach allows an inured player to continue, or to renter, that's 100% on him, and he can get sued, he's trained, he's certified, and not covered by Good Samaritan laws.
Not a Connecticut official's job legally. We're not trained, we're not certified. No legal liability. Thank you State legislature.
Also, regarding teachers reporting abuse, it may certainly be different in your area, but in Connecticut, and in many other states, teachers (and school administrators) are mandatory reporters. It's not that they
CAN report suspected abuse, it's that they
MUST report suspected abuse, or be subject to criminal arrest for not reporting (up the legal ladder) suspected abuse, and we've had a few arrests in Connecticut for such irresponsible and negligent behavior. Same mandatory reporting laws also apply to doctors, nurses, social workers, etc.