[Law] Injuries and "Injuries"

Shelflife


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Whats the accepted norm for stopping play ?

Normally I will stop play or wont restart until a player can get to their feet, by and large it works well and id be consistent about it.

When you get to the point of a team having "injuries" at virtually every break in play as they are hanging on to a lead and/or are trying to break the other teams rhythm where do you draw the line ?

If say a winger is down and hes away from the ball area do you play on if hes receiving attention ?

Basically if you think you are being played how would you manage it ?
 

Christy


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Hi shelf .
For me i would consider age grade of game .
But mainly if ball is passed from tackle & play is generally moving away .
I would play on .

If i am concerned by groans or shouts of what i feel are genuine acts of serious injury .
I would stop game . ( and have done in past with no concerns from either team ) ..
I had a player in adult rugby break his leg 2 years ago , in similar scenario

It is a tactic i had last season , at a youth game .
Where tight score , loosing team a couple of times stayed on floor .
I did stop game at next genuine stoppage & went to injured player .
Only to find a coach more interested in telling me i should of stopped game , rather than see to injured player .

I told coach i didnt mind him entering field of play to attend his player .
And also advised him that just because he tells a player to stay down , means im going to stop game ..

This tactic at youth games , although for me hasnt been to common , i have believed to be more coach contrived ,, telling players to stay down .

Having said that , we all know its a tough game , so i treat every incedent independantly and dont use a 1 rule suits all
 

Blackberry


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I used to deal with it before the game started.

I'd agree with the coaches / captains that helpers could come straight onto the pitch to tend to an injury and I would stop the game if play came near the injured player. This removes any reason to fake an injury as by continuing to play we are not delaying help coming to the player.

This would not have worked if there were no helpers at the match, but this never happened.
 

beckett50


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I depends upon the Level of the match, which generally dictates the quality of the medical cover.

If there is competent medical cover I will always introduce myself before the match and advise them that if they see one of their players down then they are free to come onto the pitch and administer treatment. Obviously if the play then moves back to where they are on the field of play then I will stop. Otherwise we will keep going until the next stoppage when I will enquire as to the condition of the player and whether, in the eyes of the medic, they are free to continue.

However, if I even THINK that the player has had contact with the head and been knocked out or the injury is serious (limb break etc) then I will immediately stop play and give the player space and room for the medic.

Hope this helps?
 

crossref


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very similar for me - it's one of the things I talk about when I have the two captains together - when there's an injury then if the ball moves away and it's safe then we'll normally play on. If it's PK - when it's safe to continue same again - play on.

Obviously if the ball comes close to the injured player we'll stop.

Once the ball is dead then we'll stop for treatment. You can't really hurry people receiving / giving treatment, but you can make it completely clear that time is off, so no playing time is lost.
 

SimonSmith


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Much like Beckett.

I tell the Medic - straight on if you need to. I'm going to keep play going unless you call for an ambulance or we head back towards to you.
I'm only stopping the game if I see a serious injury - head, most likely.
 

menace


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All great tactics. Problem is it's not the capt or medic but the other players screaming at you to stop play as they have an injured player. Clearly the capt and medics dont tell the players that play will continue unless it's a serious one. Wonder if it's actually worth saying at the team at the boot check? Hmmmm.
 

Pinky


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In Scotland our guidelines say we play on whilst there are injuries unless it is unsafe to do so. Specifically lineouts are to go ahead as long as any injury is far enough away. I suspect that means with another thrower if required, but I suspect that will seldom happen. Safety is paramount, so getting treatment for injured players is important, but the view is the game stops only where required. For me, required is any injury in a breakdown, head knocks - I as ref want to be sure the player is being treated - and anything that requires the player to be carried from the pitch - we may well be waiting for an ambulance for that - and that may end the game.
 

Ciaran Trainor


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My favourite is head injury sir! I'm obliged to stop play but every time, off you go for HIA. But I'm ok. Sorry I can't take that risk
 

DocY


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As others have said, play on if the player is far enough away or can get off the pitch.

But a word of warning: if you do have to stop play, even if you're sure they're taking the p*ss, don't force an unwilling player to leave the pitch unless there are suitably trained medics there to move them (and this usually means paramedics). If they are genuinely injured, or even if they claim to be after the game, you're in for a world of trouble.
 

Thunderhorse1986


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My favourite is head injury sir! I'm obliged to stop play but every time, off you go for HIA. But I'm ok. Sorry I can't take that risk

There is NO HIA in the community game.

"I've got a head injury, Sir"
"OK, off you go. Captain/physio/coach - sorry he's had a head injury and he won't be taking any further part in the game. Thanks"
 

TheBFG


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There is NO HIA in the community game.

"I've got a head injury, Sir"
"OK, off you go. Captain/physio/coach - sorry he's had a head injury and he won't be taking any further part in the game. Thanks"

I agree with the NO HIA in our rugby, but that said, i'd also allow the medical cover make the call, with the proviso that i can still over rule if i don't believe they've made the right decision.
 

crossref


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The OP asked what is what is the accepted norm for stopping play
I think one problem is that different referee have different norms .. which does make it hard for the players.
Of course they should play to the whistle , but that can be tricky
 

Marc Wakeham


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Our society norm is to play on unless the "medic" tells us we need to stop play or play moves into proximity with the injured player.
 

ianh5979


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Our society norm is to play on unless the "medic" tells us we need to stop play or play moves into proximity with the injured player.

I would add unless there is a natural break in play like a scrum, lineout, try or penalty where i would probably stop the game
 

crossref


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Not a PK .. that's exactly the moment when players feign an injury in order to try and prevent a quick tap
 

Marc Wakeham


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I would add unless there is a natural break in play like a scrum, lineout, try or penalty where i would probably stop the game

Well I took it to be understood that if play was stopped then we had a natural stop anyway. With a try I would allow the Conversion attempt and then hold play while we check the injury.

A PK is a little different if the team go quick I would use normal paramaters.
 

Christy


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There is NO HIA in the community game.

"I've got a head injury, Sir"
"OK, off you go. Captain/physio/coach - sorry he's had a head injury and he won't be taking any further part in the game. Thanks"


in irfu land .
if any player leaves with concussion or suspected concussion .
not only does player leave field .
the referee has a concussion report to fill out .
very basic , players name , irfu nr , match location etc.

he / she name is then flagged if a club tries to list them in next match .
and they can not play again untill they have completed their back to train / play protocol .

which could mean they need to miss a few weeks .
 

TheBFG


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in irfu land .
if any player leaves with concussion or suspected concussion .
not only does player leave field .
the referee has a concussion report to fill out .
very basic , players name , irfu nr , match location etc.

he / she name is then flagged if a club tries to list them in next match .
and they can not play again untill they have completed their back to train / play protocol .

which could mean they need to miss a few weeks .

I'm fully aware of the very sad issue you've had in Ireland when it comes to concussion.

I am fully in the whole recognise, remove, return, but in the safe occasion that a player is not concussed, but could have many other conditions is the whole "name the player" process going to potentially cause issues where players and god forbid coaches try to hide a minor knock knowing they'll then be side lined for "the big game" coming up?
 

L'irlandais

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In the case of that IRFU’s Ben Robinson concussion related death.
... Ben was checked for concussion three times during the match, and each time he was allowed to play on. There was a doctor at the match, the father of a Dalriada player who hurt his leg in one of the collisions with Ben. He missed the symptoms too.
 
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