Quote:
Originally Posted by JRutledge
I would agree, but the clarification in football (where this is much more of a realistic concern) was that all we do is send them off. After that, we are not involved. So if a player comes back in, it is assumed that they have been checked out. The only issue is if the player is deemed to be unconscious as normal. Your state or any state can take a harder line on this and require more documentation, but as it stands from football, this will be really on the coaches. The wording that came out is the exact same as other sports so far, but the application was not made very clear. Now it was made clear in football and it appears we really are not involved. We just send off a player we think has a concussion and move on. I agree we are not the best people to determine this, but in basketball it is a lot easier to see a player cannot function. In a sport like football it is very hard and the same kind of hand-eye coordination is not the same or as obvious considering many players in football might not be around the ball.
Peace
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I really don't see this as a big problem for officials either. The new wording states that "IF" they are sent off due to possible concussion concerns, they can not come back in unless cleared by medical personnel. I don't think it says anywhere that we have to be medical experts on concussions. But if I see a kid bang his/her head on the floor, get up and stagger around, I'm going to call the coach/trainer in and have them taken out of the game (same as I would have in previous seasons). Now, it's on the coach/school to have someone there to check them out and be the "medical personnel" who allows them back into the game.