Medical paroblems: I always ask. Do you?

[refnrev]

In every pre-game in every sport, ay every level, after asking, "Coaches are your players legally and properly equipped?" I follow with, "Are there any medical conditions of which we need to be aware?" I am amazed at how many affirmitive reponses I have gotten just this fall... severe asthma, possible seizures, complete deafness (soccer) almost complete deafness (basketball - she could hear the whistle but had real trouble with your words, espcially if there was much crowd noise so it helped to give her the signal about what she did) to diabetics with and without insulin pumps. Don't you think the FED should make this a mandatory part of the pre-game with HC and captains. It might make us aware of a potential serious situation that we might not understand and could get the coaches, a nurse or doctor from the crowd, or trainers on the field or court immediately.

[refhoops]

This is something that I have included with the coaches for the last few years. I beleive this is good game management not only for the issues that you state but also if a player is coming back from an injury.

[tjones1]

I don't. I keep it short and sweet. I include everything the NFHS wants to be covered. I believe they have put it upon the coach's responsibility to notify the game officials, therefore I don't cover it. It's only came up twice in my short career. Then again, it's probably not a bad idea.

[JRutledge]

I do not feel it is our responsibility to ask this. Why do I want to know the medical history of the players? If there is a medical problem, that is for medical personnel to sort out. I am there to officiate the game and if someone has issues that will cause a problem that I have to deal with, this is something the teams should take care of. I do not think this is something the NF should require and something I would not likely ever ask.

Peace

[jontheref]

I agree with JR. If a player goes down or is having difficulty or in some kind of distress, we as officials can deal with that on the fly. I dont think asking before the game is going to do much for me. The chances of me remembering #5 has asthma or whatever arent real high. So I would refer not to know and deal with what I have to. Its like, I dont really need to know who has contacts on....if there is a problem, I will deal with it at the moment.

[tomegun]

My question is, how would it matter or have a bearing on how you would call the game?

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by refnrev

In every pre-game in every sport, ay every level, after asking, "Coaches are your players legally and properly equipped?" I follow with, "Are there any medical conditions of which we need to be aware?" I am amazed at how many affirmitive reponses I have gotten just this fall... severe asthma, possible seizures, complete deafness (soccer) almost complete deafness (basketball - she could hear the whistle but had real trouble with your words, espcially if there was much crowd noise so it helped to give her the signal about what she did) to diabetics with and without insulin pumps. Don't you think the FED should make this a mandatory part of the pre-game with HC and captains. It might make us aware of a potential serious situation that we might not understand and could get the coaches, a nurse or doctor from the crowd, or trainers on the field or court immediately.

I think this is a fantastic idea! It can only help us in our main task of looking after the safety of the players.

While most of us aren't doctors or EMTs and couldn't do anything for the kid ourselves, if a problem arose, it certainly could help us in identifying a possible situation earlier and getting the player help more rapidly.

While I haven't yet begun to ask the coaches prior to the game, (I will likely start doing so) I am quite good at remembering that #6 had to leave the game in the first half to use her inhaler. If I see her having trouble breathing at some point later in the contest, I am going to stop it as soon as I can.

It really is staggering when I think about it because I have had several players in soccer matches in the past couple of years drop on the field due to asthma and need to have a parent or coach run an inhaler out to them. I've had the poor parent with the inhaler be on the opposite sideline from the teams and not know if he/she could come out onto the field to help his/her kid. If I know this information ahead of time, and can wave a desperate parent on to provide some needed medicine, it can only help a kid. I'm all for that.

I don't recall any problems with asthma when I was a HS player, or peanut allergies, or some of these other issues. I guess it is a different world today.

[Nevadaref]

Oh look, I'm on the opposite side of Rut on this issue! Big shock there!

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I do not feel it is our responsibility to ask this. Why do I want to know the medical history of the players? If there is a medical problem, that is for medical personnel to sort out. I am there to officiate the game and if someone has issues that will cause a problem that I have to deal with, this is something the teams should take care of. I do not think this is something the NF should require and something I would not likely ever ask.

Peace

Shocker....


I agree!

[BigTex]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

If I see her having trouble breathing at some point later in the contest, I am going to stop it as soon as I can.

How long do you want you games to be? I think if we know something about a condition of a player, we may be held liable if something happens on the court. i can hear the little mommy (and the lawyer daddy) now, "that ref knew about little Suzy's/Jimmy's asthma and he did not stop the game so he could puff on his inhaler. He has been traumatized now by that mean ref." we are much better off sticking to the rules and th things we can control, I certainly don't want to go looking for stuff.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by BigTex

How long do you want you games to be? I think if we know something about a condition of a player, we may be held liable if something happens on the court. i can hear the little mommy (and the lawyer daddy) now, "that ref knew about little Suzy's/Jimmy's asthma and he did not stop the game so he could puff on his inhaler. He has been traumatized now by that mean ref." we are much better off sticking to the rules and th things we can control, I certainly don't want to go looking for stuff.

I absolutely agree. IANAL (I work for a living), but I do not want the responsibility (and liability) of knowing about a medical condition. If a player has a medical condition that makes it unsafe for them to participate under "normal" adherence to the rules, then that player should not be participating.

That's not my call - it's the player's parents call.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

Oh look, I'm on the opposite side of Rut on this issue! Big shock there!

Of course you think this is a great idea. You have done nothing but demonstrate that you feel that all officials can solve all problems. What else is new? It can be youth sports, rules interpretations or simple philosophy. Everything you say here as done nothing but demonstrate that very idea of over officiousness. You probably want the rules to allow us to diagnosis medical conditions as well.

Peace

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

I agree!

Just for the record, me three.

Much as I like to play doctor, there's a time and a place for it. And the time and place isn't when I'm playing at being an official.

[Dan_ref]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

I think this is a fantastic idea! It can only help us in our main task of looking after the safety of the players.

While most of us aren't doctors or EMTs and couldn't do anything for the kid ourselves, if a problem arose, it certainly could help us in identifying a possible situation earlier and getting the player help more rapidly.

I disagree 118%. (And I'm not so sure my main task is to look after the safety of the players btw, but that's a different thread.)

As a ridiculously extreme example - say you know a kid has a heart problem and he goes down during the game. You run around screaming your fool head off "HE'S HAVING A HEART ATTACK! QUICK!! CHECK HIS HEART!!" when in reality he's taken an elbow to the head.

When a player goes down the most I will do is ask if he's OK, or if it's obvious he's not I'll beckon the coach & trainers in to take care of it. Then I move quickly to the other side of the court.

[JRutledge]

Dan,

Great point.

I really hope that Nevada is not a football official. Soccer does not count.

Peace