Does anyone's board require a phsycial or a release from a physician to officiate?
Does anyone's board require CPR training to officiat?
Here's my reasons.
1. The game is much faster,players as well as the intro of the shot clock from highschool and up. In most areas there are only two officials doing highschool games and the officials are 2-4x older than the players. And unless they are anal like myself, they are probably an accident waiting to happen. I lift 5-7 days a week, run or bike 5 days as well. At 45 I have started having an annual stress test and blood work.
2. The other nite while playing full court with 9 other guys after the first game one of the guys, 48yrs old maybe
15-20lbs overweight, dropped over and died right on the court.Massive heart attack. One of the guys administered CPR until the EMT's arrived. They shocked him 3 times and then took him away saying he had a weak pulse.
I have approached my pres. and it will be suggested at our first meeting in the fall.
The CPR is not for us to administer to a player, rather you might find yourself in the locker or in the car and your partner may go down.

I think it's a godd idea for anyone to take CPR training. I don't know that it should be required.

Just a note - We get older every year but the players don't.

good CPR website
 

This is a good site to learn/refresh your CPR skills. It has areas from infant to adult.

Take a look at it. It may save a life someday.

http://www.amherst.edu/~jaloduca/cpr.html

CPR or not.......
 

I would stay away from trying to perform it on any player in a game. Not saying that you should never try to save a person's life, but if you try and fail, you open yourself up for liability. Remember Hank Gathers. His family sued almost every doctor in the house that tried to help and the ones that did not help. If you were a doctor somewhere around, they got sued.

Just something to think about.

Our commissioner recommends a physical every year, but we don't have to get a note from our doctor!!

Some thoughts:

My association encourages physical exams but doesn't require
them. Unless you know what you're doing and can prove it
in court you should only offer comfort and make sure an
ambulance has been called if (God forbid) anyone goes
down during a game, be it a partner, a coach or a player.
If you have an opportunity to take a CPR course do so.

Not for nothin', but if you're lifting 5-7 days a week
you're going way too light, or you're taking stuff you
shouldn't be taking.

I'm not trying to play football. Light weight/high reps.
Helps with long distance running/riding. At least for me it does.

If it helps then you're doing the right thing!

Re: CPR or not.......
 

CPR should not be confused with 1st aid on sprains and such. If a player twists and ankle or gets busted open you are right to leave them alone. However, most if not all states has a good samaritan law, so that if you are properly licensed in CPR, and administer it in a proper manner, you cannot be sued. This is to prevent people from feeling inhibited to help in emergency situations.

This is where the Lawyers need to help answer...in fact if you are certified in CPR and you don't help you might get sued.

Re: Re: CPR or not.......
 

As I said, if you as an official try to get involved in a situation to save someone, whether it be because they are possibily dying or just broke a limb, you open yourself up for litigation if something goes wrong. I am not saying not to help people in need, I am just telling you to be careful. Especially, if it happens to one of the participants. If it happens to another official and you try to save your partner's life, I would hope that no official would sue another official or their family because an official tried to save their life.

During this past football season. A kid got his neck broken during a football game. One of the officials happens to be a lawyer that was doing the game that this kid got hurt at. He told my association that as officials we should do nothing. Because if we do, we are opening ourselves for problems later down the line. And he even said that it would not surprise him in a couple of years if a lawyer was at his front door trying to ask him questions about this situation.

Do not get me wrong, I think helping people is a very good thing. But as it relates to injuries and and the playing field, you need to be aware as officials, we can get in trouble for many things. Even if we call something, an actions of another player can be precieved as us letting things go, and that is if we make a call. It is sad that we have to think this way, but we are in a very litigous society right now and we should always be aware of or responibilities and the consequences being in the role that we are.

Peace.

Rut,

I understand your point but there is a clear distinction between adminstering CPR and all other situations. If your state has the good samaritan law, you cannot be sued if your certification is up-to-date, and you adminsiter CPR.

Wicked things happen to people when CPR is adminsistered, the side affects are known going in, that is why you cannot be sued. I think it is also why they gloss over them in class.

Your association lawyer is right if it is anything other than a heart attack, I am keeping people away and doing nothing. But when you need to give CPR the ballgame changes, and there are laws there to protect you.

Re: Re: CPR or not.......
 

That is correct about the Good Samaritan Law. I am a medic (and a ref). The only thing one can get sued for (in my understanding) is negligence. If you honestly know what you are doing and it is a matter of life and death I strongly persuade you to save the life. You can always say, "coach, it's just a game" whereas, I personally couldn't say to the mother... I didn't want to save your son's/daughter's life for I was afraid of getting sued.

Let's just think about our priorities for one second. I personally this year have called and assisted the ambulance/ER five times for serious injury's.

Just a thought...

Re: Re: Re: CPR or not.......
 

I understand what you're saying but let's be careful.
The good samaritan laws vary from state to state, I believe.
As I said before it's best to do nothing unless you
know what you're doing & can prove it in court. You
obviously are well trained and qualified to assist. I,
on the other hand, wouldn't know a heart attack from a
hangnail and would just get in the way. When I see someone
get hurt I offer comfort until someone with training arrives
then I disappear.

I agree with you totally...

Leave it alone
 

I am just saying that the lawyer that is an official, adviced the association that I belong to, not to get involved, even if you have training. Like a peramedic or doctor. He even told a guy in those professions to understand that they open themselves up for litigation. And the fact that they are officials, makes them even more open for problems. He even told us that there were lawyers giving classes on what to do to sue sports officials. So just be careful.

Just plain sick
 

As I posted on another board (during the flag to the eye incident in the NFL last year), and I'll say again, "What's next?"

Before you know it, every last second shot and travel call will be appealed to the Supreme Court.

In NC officials in all sports are required to have a physical each year. Same physical is good is you do more than one sport. Form given to the doctor for completion is the same as college.
I think it is a good idea. Several years ago official collapsed during the first game of the HS football season. EMT was at the game and were unable to bring him back.

In my day job, I am a medic. The guidelines I use during a game, is basically the same as if I am walking down the street! If the person is what I feel is stable. Nothing Life-threatening. I observe from a distance. If someone needs CPR or Bleeding stopped that would kill them. I do the basics. In this sue happy world, bottomline " a life is still more precious than money"

AK ref SE

You have every right to think that way.
 

I am very happy that you are a qualified individual and you know what to do. But understand that even if you were on the street and someone was hurt, you still could get sued for "interfering" in the process. All that I am saying and many officials say, when an injury occurs and you are in your striped shirt, you are an official, not a medic. Your responsibility is different at that time. There usually is already people there that are supposed to handle the situation. If you get in those folks way and it hurts them further, now you have opened yourself for problems. That is why in football they have an ambulance at the site, they are suppose to take care of any broken bones or serious injuries. If you interfere with them, you open yourself for being blamed for something that you did not even do. There is a reason you are not suppose to touch players (especially in the HS and below levels). Because if you do, the contact can be precieved as something else. And it is not always the reality, it is the preception that matters.

Ask O.J. Simpson. No matter what you think about the man, and really even if he did kill his ex-wife or not, the preception that he did is what he will have to live with for the rest of his life. I was not there, most people were not there when his ex and her friend was killed, but people all over the country believe this man did it based on second hand knowledge.

I do not know about you, if I win or not, I do not have deep pockets to support a million dollar lawsuit. Why do you think the NF has litigation insurance. It is not because it is fashionable that is for sure.

In one of our track clinics we were advised that inaction could open us up as well. For that reason I always have my cell and the exact address of the school with me to call 911. If someone gets busted up I can call asap.

I think your level of responsibility depends on who you talk to. My guess if you asked 100 lawyers they would find reasons to sue one way or the other. Like rules it may vary on one state to the next. I think it is always good to have a lawyer address the association every year. In my aformentioned track clinic we have a lawyer and physician segment every year.

JRutledge-
I understand everything you said, and I agree with what you are saying about when you put on a striped shirt that you are doing a job as an official not as a medic or doctor or EMT.
I am not telling anyone to do what I would personally do. If I am the only one their and someone keels over. Am I afraid of being sued for what "trying to save a life".
It is a catch-22. If I do not do anything, I can be sued also. Normally where I have officiated at their is someone else that is medically trained.
Like I said previously, If it is my choice to sit and watch someone die or save a life or worry about being sued for all my millions(just kidding). A life is more important to me.

AK ref SE

AK
 

I am only telling you to be careful. You have to decide what to do ultimitely. I am sure there would be a situation that your help would be needed. But still, just be careful. No matter what your profession is, you will be looked as an official (competent or not) by the public. Lawyers can be vultures and you do not want to not show blood when unnecessary. But that is why life is complicated at times.

Peace