NFHS Rules Changes

[Texas Aggie]

Once NFHS insurance rates soar because officials are being sued for allowing players showing "obvious" signs of a concussion to play, this rule might be changed.

Actually, their motivation is to keep THEM (the NF) from being sued, not you or I.

As an attorney, I would be extremely concerned about this, so much to the point where I *might* advise a client not to officiate in games played under these rules. If you work 40 games a year, you are bound to have 4-6 concussions. How many of those did you know about? How many kept playing?

This is insane. I sure hope the NCAA doesn't do this.

[bigjohn]

Points of emphasis adopted by the NFHS Football Rules Committee for the 2010 season include concussion recognition and management, heat illness and hydration, illegal helmet contact, assisting the runner, sportsmanship and public-address announcers, and NFHS Football Officials Manual.


IHC, imagine that! Assisting the runner? As in Rule 9-1? Helping the Runner?


If they had added illegal equipment(adornments) I would have gotten my Trifecta!!!!!!!!

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by Texas Aggie

This is insane. I sure hope the NCAA doesn't do this.

Now that the Fed has, I wouldn't be surprised if the NCAA follows suit, especially since it is already being considered. Think we'll see this in basketball for this year's rule changes?

[bigjohn]

In Rule 3-7-1, the committee revised the time frame for replacing players from “immediately” to “within three seconds.”

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Welpe

Now that the Fed has, I wouldn't be surprised if the NCAA follows suit, especially since it is already being considered. Think we'll see this in basketball for this year's rule changes?

Yes, it states in the release that they're putting it the rules for all sports. Track officials are not off the hook.

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Yes, it states in the release that they're putting it the rules for all sports. Track officials are not off the hook.

I missed that earlier. Yikes.

[JRutledge]

I said this on the other board. This thing about concussions is about the dumbest thing I have ever heard from the NF committee. We are supposed to decide if someone with a helmet on has a headache.

When I was in high school I had two teammates get concussions during the same game. One I could not tell he was concussed at all until we had a discussion about a class and an assignment. When he repeated what he said I felt there were something wrong and alerted doctors. The other individual was very much hurt but there was no event in the game that alerted anyone. I also reported this to the trainers and made it clear his condition was an issue. Neither of these I would be able to identify easily on the field of play as they both were found out by conversations and this was long before the media concerns and issues on this topic.

This is a very bad decision and they might have to deal with this in court to change their stance.

Peace

[procivil]

I am fearful of the liability placed on officials. One could argue neglegence on an official not only for a misinterpretation of a players condition or symptoms, but argue neglegence if he was not in the right position to see the player in the first place. So if player A12 gets a concussion from a hit following a pass and the ref either didnt see the hit and/or did not observe A12 after the play because he was busy marking off a penalty, then he could be held liable. Often the standard on legal neglegence is not IF you knew, but were you in the position where you should have know. Wow!