Official Injured in Motor City Bowl
 

Back judge Terry Jones was injured in the Motor City Bowl tonight and an alternate official had to take his place. His condition was not updated, although it didn't appear that serious (hopefully).

Brings me to a question as a newbie who is potentially starting traning this Spring to become an official:

I work for myself to put food on the table for my family -- if I don't work, I don't get paid, simple as that. Don't have "sick leave." Man, even a sprained ankle would really mess up my ability to work.

After seeing Jones taken out of the game, I got to thinking about Charlie Weis and Joe Paterno, just were just standing on the sidelines when they got so whacked they can't walk now. So I got to thinking that maybe I'm being selfish and not thinking about my family with my plan to get involved with officiating.

Granted anyone can get run over by a bus or drunk driver tomorrow, but I don't want to take undue risks when I have kids to support. Is it often that officials get injured or a complete fluke? What's the "most dangerous" position or "safest" position on the crew?

Clock operator?

IMHO, you needn't go into officiating thinking there is a "most dangerous" position, because chances are that the crew will just put you in whatever vacancy they have. If you are in good physical condition (I've issued myself the challenge of being in the best shape of my adult life, this coming fall) and learn proper technique, injuries are rare.

My own perspective, I've officiated HS for 10 years (9 on a varsity crew) and have seen one official go down with an injury (No contact with players - tore a muscle in his calf) and one official have to sit out a few series (Newbie line judge went down-field on a sweep instead of trailing the play, and got wiped out by pursuers). In contrast, seems like a player gets injured every game or two. My own two worst injuries: Bruised arm and bruised ego.......

The bj is least likely to get run into but due to the great speeds he moves and sudden shifts he has to make while moving backwards, he still is in danger of self-induced injury.

In 12 seasons, including 3 at the NCAA level (Cdn equiv.), I have been hit once of any significance, and two other times where a leg brushed my person.

I've never had an errant ball hit me. I come from a basketball officiating background, so I did learn quite well how to stay out of the way. :)

I don't know about Paterno, but Weis was in the wrong area when he should have known better. I won't say that he deserved what he got, but he has nobody to blame except for himself.

In football officiating, I think the U has the greatest risk of being hit, and therefore of also being injured. As a side guy, I have never been close to being injured, except for that one play in a college game. It was my first year, and was my second game. I knew the game was faster, but man, I didn't really get it until I was on-field. :eek:

There's an inherent risk in any physical activity. Officiating is no different.

In the 18 years I've officiated football and baseball I've received my share of bumps and bruises - most of them from foul balls while working the plate in baseball. The most significant injury I suffered was a sprained ankle while working a baseball game about 10 years ago.

I've received many more injuries as a player than as an official.

I don't think you're any more or less likely to get hurt and lose your earning potential officiating football than doing most other leisure activities.

Then again, if you have that in the back of your mind and you're going to be skittish about it, you just might.

If you are a reasonably healthy adult male, fairly ambulatory, your limbs work, you don't have periods where you zone out, the blood flows everywhere in your body that it's supposed to, there's no reason to be really worried about getting hurt out there.

If you have none of those things, you can still be an umpire. :)


(BTW, Joe Paterno is eleventymillion years old! And Charlie Weiss is about as mobile as your basic national monument. Unless you're a complete statue, don't worry about what happened to them happening to you.)

On my crew, my umpire has taken a couple of hits in the past couple of years only because the action moved so fast he couldn't get out of the way, and he's a very mobile guy. Maybe took a bruise or two, otherwise he was fine.

Once when I was working subvarsity, the white hat got run over by a LB chasing the QB (white hat was moving with the flow like he should). I was covering the pass and didn't see the hit. After calling the incomplete pass and retrieving the ball, I saw people running to the backfield like a tornado had hit and saw my white hat was down. I ran over there, and by time I got there, he was asking me if anyone got the license plate of that truck. I told everyone he's fine, he jumped up and we went on like nothing happened.

Umpires usually are the ones who take some hits, so be carefull if asked to work that position.

Here's a video from a game played just a couple months ago in Western NY area (Buffalo area). YouTube - ref ran over

Nasty looking, but he was OK by the next day.

My best advice on worrying about getting hurt is don't worry.

The worst incident I was involved was a 7th grade game where there was no security to keep spectators away from the field. To make a long story short, a run down the sideline, a parent steps out to see the run, as I push him out of my way, a player gets blocked and falls at my feet, the result was a head over heels flip. No real injury.

I attribute my luck to a rigorous year round workout that includes cycling both stationary and outdoor, intense weight lifting, aerobics program of heavy bag and step aerobics, Stairmaster workouts and stretching.

If you are in shape you will be able to get out of the way most of the time and those times where it is impossible you will not get hurt.

Oh yeah, keep the coaches and spectators out of your way.

In NC, part of our registration fee covers supplemental insurance. My Blue Cross would pay first, then the state association's coverage would pay secondary. I finally went ahead this year and obtained disability insurance through my employee's association as I've got about 10 years left for retirement.

I would check with my state association to see if insurance is provided or can be obtained.

Chances of getting seriously hurt are few. U takes the most licks. On the wing, most of your shots will be to the legs. Proper positioning will aid you in not getting hit or at least hard. Only injury I've ever sustained as a white hat was from winding the clock too hard. BJ's can pull a hammy if they don't stretch well.

[QUOTE=HLin NC;561978]Only injury I've ever sustained as a white hat was from winding the clock too hard.[QUOTE]

I take it you never played fast-pitch softball or USSSA slow-pitch softball. :D ;)

Was that a digital clock!? :)

If you go into a game worrying about getting hurt, you probably will. I work the middle, but I don't think about it. I just keep focused.

There is NO substitute for conditioning. I've struggled with Achilles tendinitis issues for years -- including in my 20s when I started. After starting a fairly intense running program, I've had virtually no Achilles issues during football and basketball season. Obviously, its difficult to condition yourself to sustain getting taken out, but the better condition you are in, the faster you will recover from heavy soreness. I got leg whipped twice this year (a little too cocky in staying close in the R position) and what bruises there were literally healed within hours (24-30) rather than days.