Oakland v Oral Roberts Head Gear
 

Anyone catch the head gear on the Oral Roberts Player? It looked like boxing head gear with the logo blacked out by a sharpie. They said he had 3 concussions over 3 weeks. Legal in HS?

Briefly discussed a similar wrestling headgear issue in this thread:

http://forum.officiating.com/basketb...firsts-me.html

Approved by the state as an exception or let it go? What say you ref?

Here is a picture.

Tulsa World: Related Photos

Probably actually makes the game safer now as any head to head contact is softer than it normally would have been and less chance for injury.

Wonder if with concussions now, this is going to be the rage - like sleeves for elbows?

FASHION POLICE! Someone call the Fed. We need new rules! :rolleyes:

Hey, it could happen!

Yes, it's legal (use 2-3 if you have to) in FED games.

The medical staff shouldn't be allowing him to play when he's had 3 concussions in three weeks. He shouldn't even get 2 concussions in 3 weeks because he should be sitting out. A lot of lip service is paid to "caring about the safety and futures of our young athletes" but that's all it is: big talk, no action.

Here is the link to the story. He recceived his third concussion in Dec and has missed 2 months and 17 games. Doctors advised him to give up basketball. He was in his senior year and now is done.

ORU's Kyron Stokes fights through concussions | Tulsa World

Now THAT's the kind of thing that will get you in trouble: rendering medical judgments without a license is lawyer-bait. What qualifies you to judge the severity of the concussions, and their impact on this individual? Yikes.

He's safe. The precedent has been set by allowing fans to make game judgments without a license, and no lawyer has ever sued a fan for those types of egregious errors.

Really? I would argue that the MEDICAL staff is making itself lawyer bait for letting the kid play. Especially with all of the emphasis on concussions. Either the article was incorrect in saying he HAD 3 concussions in 3 weeks or the medical team put this player in unnecessary risk.
As an official, if they are at the table, I am letting them on the floor if they "don't appear concussed".

Doesn't NFHS rule 3-5-3eEXCEPTION(a) already cover it?

R3-5-3(e) Head decorations and headwear, except those specified above, are prohibited.
EXCEPTION: State associations may on an individual basis permit a player to participate while wearing a head covering if it meets the following criteria:
a) For medical or cosmetic reasons- In the event a participant is required by a licensed medical physician to cover his/her head with a covering or wrap, the physician's statement is required before the state association can approve a covering or wrap which is not abrasive, hard or dangerous to any other player and which is attached in such a way it is highly unlikely that it will come off during play.

Oh just settle down. I never said as an official I would keep the kid out of the game (assuming I didn't notice any symptoms). I'm saying anyone able to get 3 concussions in 3 weeks is not being served appropriately by the team's medical and coaching staff. Can you argue with that? Research shows that the most damage comes from subsequent concussions before the original one heals.

Personally, I think your statement jumps too quickly to a conclusion ("is not being served" and "shouldn't be allowed to play").

There are "degrees" of concussions. And, it's entirely possible that the prior one healed / the player passed the post-concussion test, etc.

Just like when we get second-hand stories about an official's call, we like to get the official's side of the story, I think we should get the medical staff's side of the story here.

Exactly right.

I don't have sufficient medical training to assert conclusively that 3 concussions of any degree over 3 weeks automatically disqualifies a player. Sure it sounds bad, but that's not my call (here or on the court).

You're probably right Bob. Thanks for at least reading what my post said. Hopefully the medical staff is monitoring him closely and along with the headgear has given him a top of the line mouth guard (Brain Pad, Shock Dr., etc).