OHSAA: Updated Concussion Regulations in Response to House Bill 143 for 2013-14

[Larks]

TO: All OHSAA Contest Officials and Directors of Development for Officiating



FROM: Dr. Dan Ross, Commissioner



RE: Updated Concussion Regulations in Response to House Bill 143 for 2013-14



DATE: February 14, 2013



Thank you for all that you do and have been doing to insure that all current OHSAA and NFHS rules regarding the prevention, recognition and management of concussions and head injuries are being observed and fully implemented. For the last two years, the OHSAA has been at the forefront of the rules writing and education process to respond to this critical health issue that can have a devastating impact on our student athletes. We will continue that mission to protect our students and all those who work in the interscholastic athletics arena, including all OHSAA contest officials.



Notwithstanding the leading role that the Ohio High School Athletic Association has played in the area of developing policies concerning concussion prevention, recognition and management, in December of 2012, Ohio’s Governor Kasich signed into law legislation that was passed by Ohio’s 129th General Assembly which incorporated much of what the OHSAA regulations previously mandated. This law, however, does add several aspects to previous OHSAA regulations. Therefore, in order to be fully compliant with this law as signed by our Governor, modifications have been made to OHSAA policy. These modifications are set forth in these updated Concussion Regulations which were approved by the Board of Directors on February 14, 2013.
Please click here http://www.ohsaa.org/medicine/Concus...egulations.pdf to read these regulations which will also be published in the 2013-14 OHSAA Handbook. The regulations become fully effective on April 26, 2013.



Important Changes From Previous Regulations Include:

1. A mandate that all contest officials have either a Pupil Activity Program/Coaching Permit (PAP) or show evidence of completion of either the NFHS or CDC concussion course. When an individual takes a concussion course, the individual can print a certificate of completion. We are recommending that all officials carry this information with them while officiating beginning on April 26, 2013 of this spring sports season until the end of this school year. After that, it is the intention of the OHSAA to require each official upon renewal or new registration of the officiating license to verify that he or she possesses this educational component. We are also recommending that the site manager at all contests this spring beginning April 26, 2013 check for this component. We understand that some officials may have already taken one of the concussion courses and failed to retain evidence of completion. In such cases, we are recommending that the official retake the course and insure that the certificate of completion is printed and retained.

2. A change in the Return to Play (RTP) Protocol prohibiting any student who has been removed from a practice or a competition by a coach or a contest official to return to that practice or competition on that same day. RTP will be permitted thereafter (meaning no earlier than the next day) only with written authorization by a physician, either an M.D. or D.O. If a Board of Education or other governing board wishes to authorize another licensed health care provider such as an athletic trainer, to perform this authorization, the provider must be acting in consultation with a physician (M.D. or D.O), pursuant to a referral from a physician, in collaboration with a physician, or under the supervision of a physician.

The official’s duty has not changed in reference to this new protocol. An official shall immediately remove a student from a contest who exhibits signs, symptoms or behaviors consistent with having sustained a concussion or head injury (such as loss of consciousness, headache, dizziness, confusion or balance problems). As in the past, it is required that the official who has to remove a student from competition for this reason shall submit to the OHSAA within 48 hours the “OHSAA Concussion Report” which can be found here http://ohsaa.org/medicine/OHSAAConcussionReport.pdf
Please find below a couple additional items to inform you about these changes:

3. All parents and students must review and sign the Ohio Department of Health’s “Concussion Information Sheet.” Concussion education is part of the mandatory curriculum (Bylaw 3-4-1) for preseason meetings at each member school. It is recommended that schools present this Concussion Information Sheet to parents and students at the spring preseason meetings and at all meetings thereafter. In addition, we strongly encourage all parents and students to take one or both of the concussion courses. The OHSAA Preseason DVD, also covers this topic, and the new sports regulations provide additional resources on this topic.

4. The OHSAA has now updated its Preparticipation Physical Evaluation Form for 2013-14. There have been no substantive changes to pages 1-5, but the page six consent form has been revised to reflect this new concussion law. Also, imbedded as a link on our Sports Medicine Page will be the Department of Health’s Concussion Information Sheet that can be downloaded from the same location on the OHSAA sports medicine page.



Please take some time to review this information, and feel free to contact our staff if you have questions.

[jTheUmp]

Originally Posted by Larks

2. A change in the Return to Play (RTP) Protocol prohibiting any student who has been removed from a practice or a competition by a coach or a contest official to return to that practice or competition on that same day. RTP will be permitted thereafter (meaning no earlier than the next day) only with written authorization by a physician, either an M.D. or D.O. If a Board of Education or other governing board wishes to authorize another licensed health care provider such as an athletic trainer, to perform this authorization, the provider must be acting in consultation with a physician (M.D. or D.O), pursuant to a referral from a physician, in collaboration with a physician, or under the supervision of a physician.

(Emphasis mine)
So if I, as an official without formal medical training, remove a player for concussion-like symptoms, they're done for the day, even if they get checked out by a medical professional who says they're fine to return?

Talk about throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

[Tio]

This is great... we are doctors now too.

[Larks]

OHSAA was against it. The State of Ohio rammed it through.

Our old rule was we put em out, a Doc or cert trainer could put them back in with a form that we were supposed to keep. In absence of the form, any napkin was to do. In addition, they advised us to hold on to these documents...FOREVER

[JRutledge]

Now I have another reason not to like Ohio.

Man that is really silly on so many levels. Then you are going to get legitimate issues not looked at because officials do not want to take that risk or responsibility.

Gotta love a legislature that is trying to make laws about voting that make no sense and now this. Stupid beyond belief.

Peace

[Larks]

Solutions in search of problems....that is our government on every level.

[rockyroad]

So now when you show up to work a game, the AD (or whoever) will be required to ask you to show him/her your certificate that shows you have completed the concussion training? And you will be required to have it with you for every contest? Wow...

And we get to decide if a player is done for the evening or not? With our years of medical training and vast experience dealing with concussed athletes? Double wow...

Gotta love it when politiciand get involved with stuff.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Now I have another reason not to like Ohio.

Man that is really silly on so many levels. Then you are going to get legitimate issues not looked at because officials do not want to take that risk or responsibility.

Gotta love a legislature that is trying to make laws about voting that make no sense and now this. Stupid beyond belief.

Peace

The need to "do something" often outweighs common sense, and typically leads to the law of unintended consequences. Here, you're right, officials will be less likely to send a kid off because of the ramifications.

[scrounge]

Originally Posted by rockyroad

So now when you show up to work a game, the AD (or whoever) will be required to ask you to show him/her your certificate that shows you have completed the concussion training? And you will be required to have it with you for every contest? Wow...

And we get to decide if a player is done for the evening or not? With our years of medical training and vast experience dealing with concussed athletes? Double wow...

Gotta love it when politiciand get involved with stuff.

.

That's been the guidance, keep the certificate in your car or gear bag or something. I don't mind the sitting out part - we're not diagnosing anything, just sitting them out because they exhibit some signs or symptoms consistent with concussions. It's up to the medical professional to diagnose and treat.

The new part is no return to play on same day - even if a med pro says it's ok. That goes against all the recent training. If the licensed medical professional was willing to sign in writing a release, we were allowed to return them same day. After that, it's the coaches'/AD's issue. One trainer who gave us a class says he's signed a same day return 3 times in the last couple years - all when he saw the play in question and was sure it did not involve a head hit (kid got hit in the gut but was staggering due to pain, not hit to the head, etc). So it doesn't sound like it was all that prevalent to have a same-day return anyway, but now it's out of the question.

[Larks]

[SNIPERBBB]

This bill covers youth(non-interscholastic) sports too(like they have enough issues getting coaches/officials).


Sad thing is this thing got little resistance in either house...I never even heard this being discussed until now.

[BillyMac]

I'm not a real doctor, nor do I play one on television, but now I get to play one in a basketball game?

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Now I have another reason not to like Ohio.

Ohio? Great. Now we'll get to see Mark T. DeNucci, Sr. playing doctor. Now that's a scary thought.