Medical Alerts - question from a coach..

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by Jurassic Referee
Don't those fourth game tournaments fall under your insurance coverage though? Doesn't your association worry about insurance and liability problems in all games, Juulie? Please note that I'm not trying to be smart or anything like that either. We go over situations like this with our officials every pre-season so that they know what to do when they run into them re: the legal aspects and how it relates to our insurance coverage. It doesn't matter whether it's a 4th. grade game or a high school varsity game either. You're usually under the same liability when it comes to safety matters.

All I'm saying is I'm not gonna accept anything from a tournament director, coach, AD, whoever- when it comes to safety matters- without seeing something that is gonna cover my a$$. Of course, having said that, I hope that the officials on this game are smart enough to read the rule book before making their final decision. The rule on medic alert bracelets is pretty clear- tape the bracelet part but the medal with the medical info on it is OK.

Actually around here, only PBOA games fall under our NFOA insurance. If we do stuff that isn't assigned by the PBOA, then we have to carry our own. The NASO that I carry some years (and neglect to renew others) uses strictly NFHS safety rules. At least that's my understanding.

So as a ref, I'd be fine with the tape job that coach gbert describes, per rule book. But the "young and inexperienced" ref who she doesn't know from Slappy Dan, may not know the rule. If the TD or some other league official gives her a written letter that says, "yea, it's legal", the coach is less likely to have a problem.