NFHS Rules Changes

[Ed Hickland]

Originally Posted by ajmc

Ed, from where do you get the notion that anyone has a rational expectation of, "Officials becoming the primary examiner of player condition". Sorry, but even if you stay at a Holiday Inn Express, you have to finish medical school and/or be certified at some clinical level to assume those responsibilities.

Anyone assuming you are somehow automatically qualified to render accurate diagnosis is a complete fool, including any attorney who wants to hold you responsible for being something you have never claimed to be, or there is no reasonable expectation that you automatically are. As previously suggested, the irrational fear of what some bogeyman attorney "might" do, creates little but unnecessary paralisys.

Forgive me, but it shouldn't take you longer than 30 seconds to, "be cognizant of the signs of concussion", which is a whole lot different from diagnosing potential concussion. You are not a doctor, stop trying to convince yourself anyone will ever presume you are an "appropriate health-care professional".

With all due respect to, and appreciation for, Mayoclinic.com, their list of concussion symptoms, in situations, where they are being displayed at an obviously problematic level, are and have long been, worthy of sending a player off for evaluation, regardless of what might actually prove to be causing them.

The point being missed may simply be that you are getting way, way ahead of yourself conjuring up all sorts of exaggerations that that will likely never, ever be part of any (actual) expectation or rule. If some of your wildest concerns do make it to the final rule wording, they will have to be addressed and dealth with, but as of now, based on a news release, there's little chance the sky is in any serious danger of falling.

Al, understand you read the dictionary, however, look up the second definition of "primary" that means the first in a series. By that I mean the official becomes the first to note the symptoms as opposed to "primary" meaning the highest rank which would be the doctor only after suspected identifcation by the official. And, I hate Holiday Inn Express.

To the point and I would like to see your answer, in short form please.

A player vomits. You send him off for evaluation. Do you restrict him from competition because he displayed a sign of concussion?