New Rules

   The rule in 4th thru 5th & 6th grade of frozen at third has been eliminated

Wisconsin's Concussion Law and Officials

The law requires immediate removal of an individual from a youth athletic activity if symptoms indicate a possible concussion has been sustained. Subsequently, if a concussion is confirmed, individuals may only return to competition or practice after being evaluated by a trained health care provider. The health care provider is required to provide written clearance in order for the athlete to return to action.

Officials are affected by the following section of the law:

Section 1. 118.293 of the statutes is created to read:
118.293 Concussion and head injury.
(4) (a) An athletic coach, or official involved in a youth athletic activity, or health care provider shall remove a person from the youth athletic activity if the coach, official, or health care provider determines that the person exhibits signs, symptoms, or behavior consistent with a concussion or head injury or the coach, official, or health care provider suspects the person has sustained a concussion or head injury.

While coaches and officials are not expected to make a diagnosis of concussion, it is expected for coaches and officials to be aware that the athletes may have a concussion and then hold them out of all activity until they are medically cleared by a healthcare provider. Signs are what can be seen by others, like clumsiness, while symptoms are what the injured player feels, like a headache.

These are some SIGNS concussion (what others can see in an injured athlete):

Dazed or stunned appearance
Change in the level of consciousness or awareness
Confused about assignment
Forgets plays
Unsure of score, game, opponent
Clumsy
Answers more slowly than usual
Shows behavior changes
Loss of consciousness
Asks repetitive questions or memory concerns

These are some of the more common SYMPTOMS of concussion (what an injured athlete feels):

Headache
Nausea
Dizzy or unsteady
Sensitive to light or noise
Feeling mentally foggy
Problems with concentration and memory
Confused
Slow

The law also includes provisions to protect coaches, officials or volunteers from liability if they fail to remove an athlete from competition, unless there is gross negligence or gross misconduct.

Injured athletes can exhibit many or just a few of the signs and/or symptoms of concussion. However, if a player exhibits any signs or symptoms of concussion, the responsibility is simple: remove them from participation. "When in doubt sit them out."

If you suspect a player may have a concussion, that athlete should be immediately removed from play. The injured athlete should be kept out of play until they are cleared to return by an appropriate health care provider.

For more information, please visit the WIAA web site: www.wiaawi.org/index.php

NFOA INFORMATION
By Ben Closson
Officials are often exposed to many challenges during the course of an athletic activity. They are forced to respond to many different conditions presented by athletes, spectators, field conditions and weather, just to name a few. Neglecting any one of these conditions could leave the athlete injured, the official injured, or could lead to a lawsuit against the official claiming he/she was negligent. With the warmer months quickly approaching, the focus of this article will be on the awareness and prevention of injuries sustained by athletes due to unfavorable weather conditions.
The following guidelines are contained in the National Federation of State High School Association (NFHS) Sports MedicineHandbook, which should be used as an additional resource in the prevention of weather-related injuries. It is imperative that officials consult their state/local officiating rules books when determining what steps they should take when facing potentially dangerous conditions.
Lightning Safety
The Sports Medicine Handbook states that lightning is one of the most prevalent causes of weather-related death and injury in the United States. According to the National Severe Storms Laboratory, approximately 100 fatalities and hundreds more injuries requiring medical attention occur in the United State annually. The Sports Medicine Handbook recommends that coaches, athletic trainers, officials, administrators, as well as athletes, should be educated regarding the signs indicating nearby thunderstorm development. Whenever lightning can be seen, or thunder heard, risk is already present. Assessing how far away lightning is striking can be accomplished utilizing the flash-to-bang method. The method is used by counting the number of seconds it takes to hear the clap of thunder after witnessing a flash of lightning. Divide the number of seconds by five to get the distance, in miles, to the lightning flash. For example, if the designated weather monitor counts to two between the time the lightning flash is witnessed to the time the thunder is heard, the lightning flash occurred approximately four-tenths of a mile from the weather monitor’s position (2 sec X 1 mile/5 sec = 4/10 mile). (30 seconds or less – remove athletes) The Sports Medicine Handbook also recommends participants wait at least 30 minutes after the last flash of lightning is witnessed or thunder is heard before resuming their activities. Any subsequent lightning or thunder after the beginning of the 30-minute count should reset the clock and another count should begin. Officials should be well aware of the guidelines described in their officiating rules book and the school’s policies/procedures about suspending play as a result of lightning and thunder conditions. Any doubt in the conditions of the weather or the safety of the athletes should result in the suspension of play. As mentioned, lightning can pose a significant danger that can lead to a serious injury if not properly monitored.
Heat-related Illness In addition to outlining the concerns of lightning, the Sports Medicine Handbook addresses the fact that heat-related illness has
been a concern to participants in outdoor activities for centuries. Hot, humid weather is one of the leading causes of environmental distress in athletes. According to the Sports Medicine Handbook, heat stroke is second only to spinal cord injury as a leading cause of activityrelated death in school athletes. Football players wearing full pads and uniform, and practicing and playing in the hot, humid weatherin many regions in the late spring and early autumn are particularly susceptible to heat-related pathologies. However, athletes participating indoors in non-air conditioned or poorly ventilated gyms are also susceptible. Officials should be able to recognize the signs of heat-related illness in order to properly monitor or prevent the continued play of participants possibly suffering from this illness. These are a few of the early warning signs of heat-related illnesses: Exhaustion Headache Muscle cramping Dizziness Nausea Thirst Decreased athletic performance According to the Sports Medicine Handbook, other general symptoms include feeling hot or cold, incoherence, visual disturbances, vomiting, stomach cramps and heart palpitations. Predisposition to heat-related illness should be recognized before it occurs,
by making coaches, administtors, officials and athletes aware of individuals at-risk for heat-related pathologies. Prior to officiating, officials should be familiar with the athletic director of the host participating school to determine a specific strategy to be followed in the event of any participants suffering from heat-related illnesses.
Many of the appropriate techniques used to ensure the safety of all athletes participating in youth activity are developed by the NFHS and individual state high school associations. While it is the host school and its athletic administrator’s responsibility to present and administer those guidelines before an athletic competition, the officials will have sole responsibility of the athletes’ safety once the
activity begins. Being aware of the environmental conditions surrounding an activity and the proper steps to ensure the safety of thoseparticipating will certainly help officials keep athletes safe and avoid situations that could result in a lawsuit

1350 3/20/2012