Tag Archives: SEC
Head of SEC Officials Talks Targeting
Steve Shaw had a lot to say about the targeting rule when he spoke to the Gulf Coast Athletic Club earlier this week. And the coordinator of football officials for the Southeastern Conference didn’t mince words, calling it the “the most significant rule change” since his involvement in the early 1990s.
“Our game is absolutely under attack, there’s no question about that. Even the president of the United States said: ‘If I had a son, I’m not sure I’d let him play football.’ We may pass that off, but those are impactful words. There’re a lot of people out there with lawsuits. The NFL has just settled a lawsuit, but it’s not over. That’s just the first stage.
“From my perspective, I believe targeting – where you target a defenseless player above the shoulders, is what the rule says, or you use the crown or top of your helmet to deliver a blow — those are dangerous acts. You get concussions and, when you use the crown or top of your helmet, that’s when you get catastrophic injuries.
“I’m just going to tell you our game is under attack, and I believe that coaches, players and officials have to make a change in our game or we’re going to have people changing our game that we don’t want changing our game. We have got to make some changes with our game or people are going to change it for us.”
And those changes should be made before the season starts, according to Shaw.
“We’ve never had more conversations with coaches and players about proper technique,” he said. “I go to every school in the summer, and I talk to the players, and they ask, ‘What am I supposed to do?’ And we give them three pieces of advice. No. 1, keep your head up. See what you hit. Lower your target is No. 2. And then No. 3 is wrap your arms up.”
JULY Issue of ‘Concussion Litigation Reporter’ Now Available
The JULY issue of Concussion Litigation Reporter has been posted for subscribers.
William M. McDonnell, MD, JD, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Medical Liability and Risk Management, recently wrote a piece for AAP News, the official news magazine of the AAP, entitled: “How to Avoid Potential Liability Headaches from State Concussion Laws.” We decided to reach out to McDonnell and ask him some pointed questions about the issue. This Q&A is among this month’s articles:
- Hit by Pitch – or a Bat, or a Line Drive, or a Co-Participant…
- Judge Denies Motion to Dismiss, Namoff Concussion Litigation Proceeds
- An Investigation of Interscholastic Athletic Trainer Documentation Practices of Concussions in a Two-State Region
- Charges Dropped Against Coach Who Allegedly Caused Opposing Player’s Concussion
- Doctor/Lawyer Examines Potential Liability Headaches from State Concussion Laws
- SEC Defers to NCAA on Concussion Issue
- California Appellate Court Affirms Stay Sought by Liability Insurers in NFL Case
- Deciphering Vermont’s Concussion Law
Also of interest, Concussion Litigation Reporter checked in with Greg Sankey, SEC executive associate commissioner, about the progress of the SEC Working Group on Concussions. His reply: “Our group continues its efforts, and we have avoided projecting its completion of the assigned task.”
See Concussion Litigation Reporter for all the articles in this month’s issue.
Posted in College, Football, General, Litigation, Professional
Tagged medical liability, Pediatrics, SEC
Comments Off on JULY Issue of ‘Concussion Litigation Reporter’ Now Available
SEC Wants to Pass the Baton to NCAA on Concussions
Some in the medical research field have been critical of college football and its lack of effort in dealing with 
concussions. Step forward the SEC Working Group which, “after a year of studying head injuries,” says its time for the NCAA to lead the charge on dealing with head trauma.
Two areas that the Working Group feels the NCAA should consider are: “possible revisions to playing rules in various sports, including football, and collect national data.”
The SEC’s study over the past year has resulted in the substantial gathering of information about concussions, and it has “identified best practices and standards of care, and provided that information to team physicians, trainers, athletics directors and coaches in the league.”
According to Mike Slive, SEC Commissioner, the time has come. “There is much work to be done, and while the Conference has a role to play, prevention and treatment of concussion injuries is a national concern that needs and deserves a coordinated national effort. For this reason, the Presidents and Chancellors will make a formal request that the NCAA take the lead in organizing and spearheading a national research effort and examining possible revisions to playing rules in football and other sports.”
To read the complete article, go to – http://bit.ly/15l377O
