Question:

Your the backjudge. During a previous running play the Free Safety comes up limping after making the tackle. You ask him if he is allright, he replies that he is...but he is still visibly limping right in front of you. You are concerned about his safety. Do you take him out??? Keep in mind that you know that he is a key player to their team, the other team is driving for the go ahead score.

Need some help here, our crew is divided on this issue.

After some replies, I will give you my take on it..and a surprise ending to what happened on the very next play and the next one. You won't believe it!!!!

I would tell the wing to tell the coach of the B player that he (the B player, that is) may be hurt and to keep an eye on him. It's up to the B caoch now.

I agree, if you verbally ask the player if hes okay and he says yes then you shouldn't make leave. Tell the coach that the player seems hurt and he might need to come out.

[Edited by Snake~eyes on Oct 24th, 2003 at 03:26 PM]

I DISAGREE!!!
 

Any player is going to tell you he's alright if you ask him. If I don't think he alright I WILL send him off.

Last night I had a player get up from a tackle holding his head and appearing woozy. I asked him if he was alright and he said yes. I watched him walk a few more steps; he still appeared woozy to me and I sent him off.

If, to me, a player appears injured, I will call an official's time out for injured player and send him off or call for the trainer.

Head injuries and open wounds are are completely different issues. The official should take the responsibility of removing a player when these types of injuries occur. However, one man's hang nail is anothers broken leg.

Limping? I'd let him play if he said he was OK.

Something more serious like a shot to the head? Well, then I'm not asking his opinion.

What happened? Where was the game?

I had my 5th shutout of the season last night.

Rich (in Wisconsin)

I agree with you, in the scenario that was given by the thread starter I wouldn't have said anything.

You have to take it case by case.

Someone else from Wisconsin? Unbelievable! :D

Luke

I agree with tball. Head injuries are different. Get them off the field and under someone else's responsibility. I can see lawsuit here.

Well, here's what happened. On the very next play A passed for a 20 yard gain due to the fact that the safety was pulled by our backjudge. Then the next play was a run where the running back came up limping after being tackled. The entire defense was telling the backjudge to pull him out of the game because he was limping. The backjudge was about to pull a flag for unsportmanlike conduct on the defense, but our umpire look at him and said "put that flag back in your pocket now" At the time he was correct...

Thanks for your posts. I think that if a player is injured you have a responsibility to use your judgement to get him off the field..The key being your judgement.