Player Injury - Chichester Vets vs. Cinque Ports

[Tibbs]

Dear all,

2 Parts to this. I refereed the above game on Saturday, a friendly. Game was really friendly and played in very good spirit.

About 15 mins from the end there was an innocuous tackle, Chichester on a Cinque Ports player. CP Player went down, ball came out and we played on. There was a knock on about 20 seconds later and I blew the whistle for a scrum and looked back to the tackle area and the guy hadn't moved at all. Captain of CP and their first aider came over, and the guy said that he felt something go in his neck and couldn't feel anything below his lower back.

An ambulance was called and came promptly. The paramedics did their thing and took him to hospital on a spinal injuries board.

The players from both sides wanted to play on, so we did so on the next pitch over, while the paramedics where dealing with the injured player. To be honest I'd have been happy to call it off.

Apart from a broken ankle this is my first (potentially) serious injury in 2 and a bit years refereeing, and it has shaken me up somewhat. I've been over it a lot these past few days and I'm pretty sure I couldn't have done anything differently to prevent this from happening.

So two questions on this:

1) Would you have played on?

2) I spent quite a bit of time in the refs changing room after the match and so didn't get the CP captain's contact details before they left. Does anybody have any contact with the club and so could find out how this guy is getting on?

Any help on this would be appreciated,

Chris

 

[SimonSmith]

1. Based on the scenario that you outline - that is, no prevalent dangers - then I think it's a decision for the players. If they don't want to, then don't.
If you think that you would have a genuine issue with refereeing it - inability to focus, for example - then tell the the captains that.
I had a loosely similar situation some years ago, and we did play on. Rationale was that he was on his way to hospital, nothing to be gained by calling it off early.

2. No!

 

[Big J]

Tibbs,

Happened to me early in the season Level 8 league match about 15mins in a winger went into a tackle head first. went down like the proverbial sack and lay motionless, quick, loud blast stopped game. Physio said he can't feel below neck. Called for ambulance they subsequently called for air ambulance.
Injury was serious and they guy may not play again.

However captains suggested we move to another pitch and we played on, the "fire" had gone out of the game though and we all sorrt of went through the motions. On reflection there was nothing anyone could have done and it was a pure accident. I did however report the incident to the Society, made notes about incident, time place, numbers involved etc just to cover my bottom just in case.

 

[Davet]

In a friendly vets game then I would leave it to the players to decide what to do. Especially his team-mates.

If they want to carry on, then fine.

If a league game then frankly I would again let the teams decide - but there is more at stake and an officila report on reasons for abandonment would be required by the organisers.

The decision re league points etc would NOT be my concern, and I would have no comment whatsoever to make about it.

 

[Greg Collins]

1) Would you have played on?

2) I spent quite a bit of time in the refs changing room after the match and so didn't get the CP captain's contact details before they left. Does anybody have any contact with the club and so could find out how this guy is getting on?

Any help on this would be appreciated,

Chris

Did CP a few weeks back - great bunch of lads, shame about the accident.

1) If ref. and the two skips were happy and the ground was safe - yes, but I doubt anyone would have much to say if you did call 'no-side' in a friendly after something like this. Cup Semi-Final may be a diferent matter.

2) no but they do have an email address via the contacts page of their web site.

 

[Dixie]

I have had two serious injuries requiring ambulances in the last two seasons. In both cases, we changed pitch and carried on. There really is nothing to be gained from quitting, except an extended opportunity to drown sorrows - which seems more inappropriate than playing on. However, there are limits to this. In a local derby 4th XV game at my club about five years ago, a 17-year old Aussie playing his first game for the club succumbed to what turned out to be an undiagnosed congenital heart condition, and died before the ambulance could arrive. I don't see how it would be possible to continue after that, and the same may well be true of a life-threatening injury.

The website contact page is http://www.cp-rugby.co.uk/contact.htm

 

[ExHookah]

Tibbs,

I appreciate your concern for the player, and I would be concerned too, but I want to just elaborate on something Simon S hinted at with his "No!".

PLEASE be very careful if you contact the club that nothing you say could be misread. I know that the UK is not as litigation hungry as the US, but it's getting that way. You'd be amazed how an innocuous comment can be twisted in court.

 

[Tibbs]

PLEASE be very careful if you contact the club that nothing you say could be misread. I know that the UK is not as litigation hungry as the US, but it's getting that way. You'd be amazed how an innocuous comment can be twisted in court.

Which is exactly why I wanted to do it in a more informal way than contacting the club.

Sad indictment of our times, no?

Chris

 

[ExHookah]

Which is exactly why I wanted to do it in a more informal way than contacting the club.

Sad indictment of our times, no?

Chris

Very sad, I agree.

 

[ex-lucy]

1) Would you have played on?

do you mean played on (a) immediately after the tackle/ breakdown or (b) after the ambulance arrived etc?

a) it seems all the players did play on and nobody was screaming for you to stop .. so i would have played on. Vets incl. Juniors, i tend to look back at breakdowns to ensure all get up ok as a matter of course.

b) tough one but i cant think of any games i have playedin watched or reffed/ TJ where we have NOT played on after a serious injury.
Maybe once, when the ambulance took so long to arrive and it got dark.

 

[Brian Ravenhill]

If you are happy to continue then ask the players not just the captain bravado will dictate that they play on when one side would have seen there player taken off to hospital with the worst possible future ahead for them.

I have sadly had an U19 player carried off on a spinal board, asked the players if they wanted to carry on yes came the answer. The body language of all those who did play on told me that they didn’t really want to, in the end I blew early because I didn’t want to be there and we all sorrowfully sloped off.

After treatment the player has made a full recovery but will/should never play contact sports again.

Reflect on how you felt in the changing rooms after that game, and if it should happen again, have the balls to say sorry I can’t carry on. They will call you all the names under the sun, but deep down they will thank you because they don’t want to carry on.

 

[spmilligan]

In my very first game in the middle I had a player break his wrist.
In my second game one player broke his ankle badly, but he scored a try which seemed to console him. We moved pitches where a second player, same team, went and broke a collar bone. After that we called it a day.
Third game nothing. I was getting used ambulances turning up halfway through a game and carting a player off.
Since then only one suspected neck injury(fully recovered) and a few dislocated fingers etc nothing major.
Anyway each time, i made a point of asking the teams involved whether they were happy to carry on, and will continue to do so. If they are, I will. If not I have no problem whatsoever in abandoning the game and filling any reports out etc. As someone already mentioned we do have a duty of care to all players involved, and repsect their decision to play or not.
After all, it is "only a game"