Question Number: 20913

League Specific 3/1/2009

RE: high school High School

Bridget Young of Kingsland, Ga USA asks...

If a member is taken to the emergency room by a parent for precautionary measures because of an injury during the game, what is the requirement in Georgia for the player to play in the next match? Is he required to have a note from the doctor allowing him to resume play. Thank you

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

As a coach one should not allow any player who suffered a concussion to resume play in that game or day until they have a signed doctor certificate they are cleared.
It is good to have a series of drills pregame that if the player suffers from ankle or knee or groin injuries it is likely we could determine the extent of their mobility.

If the injury was serious as in a break of a limb or a tear of the ACL the trainer in conjunction with the doctors on the case could CLEAR with physio the type of recovery training and when that player is fit to return. One should need no league telling us anything as the safety and well being of the kids is ALWAYS a priority above a result.

The referee acts on the sight of a pad or cast or brace or even medical alert braclets as to its significance to safety of impact and makes his decisions based on league policy and what he can see as it could affect the match not a medical history of injury.

It SHOULD BE a league policy that in the event of a head impact where there is a loss of conciousness it should be manditory to refer the player to a TRAINED doctor to clear that player before returning to the field.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

The Georgia High School Association is located in Thomaston and their phone number is 706-647-7473. I have been to their web site and could find no information that would help you. I doubt there are any hard and fast rules as to a visit to an emergency room. GYSA forbids a player to play in a cast of any kind. GHSA doesn't publish it's rules and regulations so I don't know their policy on casts. As far as I know, there is no official GYSA policy involving concussions but there should be. You should call the GHSA office and ask them what their policy is, if any. If this is your child, you, obviously, should follow the recommendations of the doctor. Depending on the injury, the referee may not even know anything had happened. If the child shows up at the game with a cast, splint, brace etc. the referee will make the final decision as to the safety of that and the other players regardless of any doctor's note. If there is an instance where the doctor says it's ok but the referee says no, remember that the referee is responsible for the safety of ALL the players. I hope that the child that was taken to the emergency room is all right.