Safety

Concussion Resources

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What the experts say about Football

Youth Football Injuries Uncommon

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Football BC Health Advisory MRSA (Staph Infections)

Football BC Concussion Policy Resources and Clarification

Effective June 1, 2010, all Football BC member associations, clubs and teams must abide by the guidelines set out in its new concussion policy.

As there have been questions raised about what is needed to be compliant with the new policy, the following is the simplified version of what is required from each association and/or club:

1. Have coaches involved in a yearly education program.

Coaches must complete the mandatory online course found at http://bcfootball.concussioneducation.ca/default.php (PIN numbers and passwords can be requested from your club team. All coaches will receive a unique PIN number and password).
Football BC will provide concussion cards free of charge to associations and schools which will be distributed to all coaches, team personnel, parents and athletes.

2. Have informed consent forms signed annually by parents and youth athletes acknowledging the risk of head injury prior to practice or competition.

This form is the "Football BC Concussion Parent-Athlete Consent Form" which can be downloaded in the link below.

3. Remove any athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury from play - "when in doubt, sit them out".

This refers to all practices and/or games.

4. Ensure that all athletes who have been removed from play as a result of a suspected head injury or concussion have written clearance from a licensed medical doctor prior to returning from play.

This clearance must be provided to Football BC upon request.

Use the following links to download the resources that your association requires to comply with the new policy:

The Football BC concussion policy is designed to ensure that all participants in amateur football understand the risk and potentially devastating effects of head injuries. Its purpose, through education for all parties involved, is to provide the safest possible setting for youth athletes.

Education Links:

The following are concussion-related stories that have been published in the last two years that demonstrate the dangers of concussions and head injuries particularly in football and some of the measures that have been undertaken by various institutions to increase player safety. Football BC encourages all members to visit the following links to gain a better appreciation of just how serious an issue concussion-safety is and why Football BC chose this time to announce its new policy.

From November 2008 & July 2009 CBC Fifth Estate: What is killing Professional Football Players
From September 2009 GQ Magazine:Game Brain
From January 2010 Time Magazine cover story: The most Dangerous Game. How to fix football
From October 2009 60 Minutes: Football Brain Damage
From January 2010 Vancouver Sun, Stephen Hume: Time to take head injuries seriously
From February 2010 Vancouver Sun, Stephen Hume: US Takes Action on concussions while we continue to talk about it.
From March 2010 National Federation of State High School Associations: Concussion Rule Revised, Strengthened in High School Football
From April 2010 Brain Damage Blog: NCAA tweaks football, wrestling rules to protect athletes against concussions
From May 2010 ESPN & Associated Press: NFL Commissioner Urges Concussion rules for all youth sports
From Football Canada 2010-2011: The Canadian Amateur Rule Book for Tackle Football - Concussion Management (page ii)

Heads Up football video produced by the National Athletic Trainers' Association

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