NFHS Preseason Guide 2018 -- a problem

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

By Connecticut State law, officials don't send players out for concussion like symptoms, it's the responsibility of coaches, or qualified medical professionals, to do such.

The Connecticut State Legislature worked closely our state interscholastic sports governing body to come up laws regarding interscholastic sports related concussions.

All interscholastic sports coaches, all levels, head coaches, assistants, etc., have to pass a yearly concussion protocol class. The decision to remove a player from a game is solely in their hands (absent a qualified medical professorial (trainer, doctor, nurse, etc.)).

That official's branch of the state interscholastic sports governing body had a seat at the table (we didn't wear our striped shirts) when this law was first proposed. The law relieves officials from most responsibilities regarding removing a player from a game for concussion like symptoms (not for blood, that's still on us).

Absent a qualified medical professorial, it's totally on the coaches, all of whom have been properly trained in concussion protocol, not the officials, to remove a possibly concussed player from a contest.

It's the State law.

Officials don't receive the same (required) professional classroom instruction that the coaches receive.

That being said, Connecticut officials have been instructed to never use the term "concussion" in describing an injury to a coach. We can describe the symptoms that we observe, i.e., dizziness, poor balance, appears dazed, or stunned, etc., or how the actual injury occurred, i.e., took an elbow to the head, head hit floor, etc., but we can't use the term "concussion".

Again, the usual caveat, "When in a State that's not Connecticut ...".



Chung, chung.

I thought it was: Doink! Doink!

MTD, Sr.