Home > Touch > Safety & Equipment > Development

Development

Heat and Humidity as Risk Factors
Cold as a Risk Factor
Head Injuries and Concussions: Guidelines for Coaches
Emergency Action Plan (EAP)
Football Equipment and Safety

Heat and Humidity as Risk Factors

THE CHALLENGES OF EXERCISING IN THE HEAT:

Key Points

During exercise, the muscles produce heat. This heat must be dissipated, otherwise the body runs the risk of “overheating.” Overheating can result in serious, potentially life-threatening injuries.
Sweating is one of the heat-dissipating mechanisms of the body. When sweat evaporates, it cools off the body. Evaporation of sweat works best when the air is dry. In moist, damp air, sweat cannot evaporate easily and cooling off is more difficult.
High temperatures and high relative humidity make it hard for the body to dissipate heat; heavy sweating occurs, but the water lost does not help to cool off the body. Under these conditions, participants run the risk of overheating.
Water lost as a result of heavy sweating can lead to dehydration. Dehydration can reduce performance, decrease the body’s ability to dissipate heat, and endanger health.
During exercise in the heat, adequate hydration is a must. Participants must drink water whenever the risk of dehydration is present.
Thirst is not a good indicator of a need for water. In fact, dehydration has already started if a participant feels thirsty.
During most exercise conditions, the rate at which participants lose water exceeds the rate at which they can absorb it by drinking. This is accentuated during exercise in a hot environment. Therefore, participants need to drink fluids before they are thirsty.
Children run a higher risk of overheating when exercising in the heat, because their sweating mechanism is not fully developed. In addition, children tend to not drink enough during exercise, in particular if the beverage is not flavoured.

If the humidex is above 30°C, in particular if it exceeds 35°C,

Tell participants to bring extra water or sport drinks; ensure there will be access to water during the practice or the competition, and bring a big jug of fluids.
Tell participants to dress in loosely fitting, lightweight, and light-coloured clothes.
Plan for low-intensity activities.
Plan for shorter work bouts, with frequent and longer pauses.
Schedule practices early in the morning or during the evening; avoid the hours between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Consider changing the location of the practice to a shaded area
ask participants to bring umbrellas to create shade during breaks.
Consider exercising indoors, in a facility with air conditioning.

Other Safety Measures to Avoid Heat Injuries

Plan for participants to have enough time to get used to the environment they will face in competition. Insisting on heat acclimatization may mean not entering competitions if participants cannot train in a similar climate for approximately two weeks beforehand.
In order to protect participants (in particular young children) against the potentially harmful effects of ultra violet (UV) rays, the following is recommended: they should wear a hat or a cap with a visor; clothes should cover the upper part of the body, the neck, the arms and the legs; sun screen lotion (protection factor of 30 or more) should be applied on the exposed skin, including the face and the hands. Participants should not expose their body to the sun without effective protection when the UV index is high.
Before exercise, participants should drink 400 to 600 mL of fluid.
During exercise, participants should drink 150 to 250 mL of fluid every 15 minutes. Remind participants to drink, lead by example, and never restrict them from drinking during a practice or a competition.
After exercise, participants should rehydrate by drinking as much fluid as thirst dictates, and even force themselves to drink.
Beverages should be cool (8 to 10°C and not too sweet; children prefer flavoured sport drinks and these promote drinking.
Tell the participants to bring a personal water bottle with cold fluids to each practice or competition; inform their parents about the importance of hydration; make sure each bottle is clean and well identified.
Tell the participants to monitor their hydration level by checking their urine. If it is dark, there is not much of it, and it has a strong smell, the participants are most likely dehydrated and should force themselves to drink.

NB: Particular attention should be paid to these measures during the first few hot days of spring or summer, when participants are not yet acclimatized to hot and humid weather.

Cold as a Risk Factor

THE CHALLENGES OF EXERCISING IN THE COLD:

Key Points

The colder the environment, the faster a participant’s body temperature will decrease.
During exercise in a cold environment, the skin can become wet as a result of sweating, or exposure to rain or snow. A wet skin surface cools the body faster than when it is dry.
The wind magnifies the perception of cold, and increases the rate at which the body loses heat. This effect can be further amplified if the skin is wet.
In cold weather, high humidity makes the temperature feel colder than air temperature indicates it is.
Cold, dry air makes it difficult to breathe for some individuals with asthma, although it is generally easier to tolerate the cold when the air is dry.
Skin can freeze when exposed to very cold temperatures, and when this happens circulation slows. Tissue can be damaged if frostbite is prolonged and extensive. Extremities (e.g. toes, fingers, nose, ears) are particularly at risk in cold temperatures, because the body shunts blood flow to central organs and tissues to maintain the body’s core temperature.
In severe cold, brain function can slow down, and so risk of further injury in prolonged exposure increases.
Children get cold much faster than adults, and their skin is more prone to freeze. People with less body fat usually have less tolerance for cold than those with more body fat.
Muscles and other soft tissues that are cold are more susceptible to injuries such as pulls and tears, in particular if the efforts produced are sudden and intense.
In very dry cold environments, water vapour lost through breathing and evaporation of sweat from exposed surfaces may lead to dehydration.
Wearing appropriate clothing can be a challenge when exercising in the cold. Clothes must protect against the cold, but at the same time they must not impair the body’s ability to get rid of the heat produced during exercise. Heavy clothing can be cumbersome and interfere with movement; it can also increase air resistance in some sports where speed is critical. On the other hand, the thin clothing used in many sports often offers little protection from the cold and the wind.
The type of fabric worn can either wick water from the body surface (i.e. synthetics such as polypropylene or Gore-Tex ®) which results in less risk of heat loss, or trap it there (i.e. cotton or nylon) which results in greater risk of heat loss.

Safety Measures to Avoid Cold Injuries

Ensure participants wear sufficient clothing for the conditions, and layer clothing as follows:

Layer closest to skin: Polypropylene, close fitting (wicking effect)

Second layer: Fleece or wool, slight room between first layer and second layer for “trapped air” effect

Third layer: Wind-breaking, water repellent, breathable
When it is very cold, ensure exposed surfaces are kept to a minimum.
Once the body has warmed up, and if the temperature is not too cold, consider removal of the second layer of clothes during exercise to avoid excessive sweating. Have participants add a layer or use blankets to keep warm during breaks or pauses.
Apply antiperspirant on feet before exercising to lessen sweating of the feet (which is usually followed by cooling of the feet). Doing the same on the palm of the hands may reduce the feeling of cold for people who tend to sweat a lot in their gloves or mitts.
Ensure participants hydrate when they exercise in the cold.
Bring children inside when they say they are cold; it is not worth the risk to prolong exercise and have them suffer from frostbite. Once a person suffers serious frostbite, the risk of subsequent frostbites to the same area may be increased.
Never send participants out into the cold alone or without means of communicating with you and/or an emergency centre; avoid prolonged activities in which participants are in isolated areas and run the risk of becoming exhausted.
When the weather is very cold and participants must train outdoors, hold your practices between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. as these tend to be the warmest hours of the day. Be aware that temperature drops quickly when the sun sets.
Inform participants and their parents to consider the combined effect of cold and wind (i.e. the wind chill factor) when making decisions about how to dress rather than simply looking at the thermometer. Do the same when you make coaching decisions about the choice and the scheduling of activities.
If possible, choose areas that are protected from the wind; avoid activities in open areas.
Ensure protective eyewear is worn to prevent snow reflection from damaging eyes, and protect from the cold and the wind.
Have participants or their parents bring a change of clothing,
Have participants or their parents bring a change of clothing, especially socks and underwear. Try to find a warm and protected spot to change.
Inform participants and parents that a hat should be worn at all times; over 30% of body heat may be lost through the head. Ensure ears are covered to avoid frostbite.
Allow additional time for warming up for training and competition; it takes longer to get the body warmed up and ready for sport in cold weather than it does in warm weather.

Head Injuries and Concussions: Guidelines for Coaches

NB: The following information is presented as a series of guidelines only. Head injuries must be treated by a recognized medical professional.

INTRODUCTION

Head injuries and concussions can occur in many sports, either in training or during competitions. Because of the potentially grave consequences of injuries to the head, coaches must take certain precautions and should enforce strict safety measures when dealing with them.

The information contained in this section is not designed to train coaches on how to implement a medical treatment or to offer medical advice in the event of a concussion. Rather, its purpose is to provide some recommendations on how to manage situations involving head injuries in a responsible manner. It is important to note that there is presently a lack of consensus in the medical community regarding precise grading scales and return to training or competition criteria following concussions.

WHAT IS A CONCUSSION?

A concussion is an injury to the brain that results from a hit to the head, or to another part of the body that allows the transmission of impact forces to the head. It shows itself through a temporary alteration in the mental status of the individual, and may also be accompanied by some physical symptoms.

SOME COMMON CAUSES OF CONCUSSIONS

The situations that may result in head injuries vary greatly from sport to sport. Producing a comprehensive list of possible causes is therefore difficult. However, some common causes include:

Direct blows to the head, face, jaw, or neck
Collisions from the blind side, or hits from behind
Hard fall on the buttocks, or whiplash effect
Poor quality of protective sport equipment (shock absorption), failure to wear protective equipment designed for the head, or improper adjustment of the same
The environment (e.g. obstacles near playing surface)
Significant differences in the skill level, age, or size of participants involved in activities with physical contact or risk of impact
Poor physical condition, or insufficient strength in the neck and upper body musculature.

SYMPTOMS

Symptoms observed in the case of a concussion include headache, dizziness, loss of consciousness, nausea, lethargy, memory loss, confusion or disorientation (lack of awareness of time, place), vacant stare, lack of focus, ringing in the ears, seeing stars or flashing lights, speech impairment, balance impairment, and problems with sight.

Other signs may include a major decrease in performance, difficulty following directions given by the coach, slow responses to simple questions, and displaying inappropriate or unusual reactions (laughing, crying) or behaviours (change in personality, illogical responses to sport situations).

A person can suffer from a concussion without losing consciousness.

MANAGING A PARTICIPANT WITH CONCUSSION SYMPTOMS

The following short-term measures should be implemented in the event that a participant suffers a concussion:

An unconscious participant, or a participant with significant changes in mental status following a head injury, must be transported to the emergency department of the nearest hospital by ambulance. This is a grave situation, and the participant must be seen by a medical doctor immediately. In such a situation, the Emergency Action Plan must be implemented.
A participant showing any of the concussion symptoms should not be allowed to return to the current practice or competition.
A participant showing concussion symptoms must not be left alone, and monitoring for the deterioration of his/her condition is essential. He/she should be medically evaluated as soon as possible following the injury. The circumstances of the injury should be recorded and communicated to the medical personnel.
If any of the concussion symptoms reoccur, the participant’s condition should be considered serious, and the individual must go immediately to the hospital.

MANAGING THE PARTICIPANT'S RETURN AFTER A CONCUSSION

Although a participant may have been given the authorization to return to regular training and competition, this must be done gradually. The participant must be re-evaluated periodically during the weeks that follow his/her return, to ensure that there are no reoccurring symptoms.

Below are a series of steps to assist coaches in managing the return to training or to competition of a participant who has suffered a concussion. Each step should take at least one day, although proceeding through each step may take longer depending on individual circumstances (Step 5 applies predominantly to sports that involve body contact).

Step 1:

No activity, complete rest; if no symptoms are observed for one full day, move to Step 2.

Step 2:

Low-intensity continuous exercise, such as walking, jogging, or cycling on a stationary bicycle; if no symptoms are observed, move to Step 3.

Step 3:

Low-intensity, sport-specific activity without contact; if no symptoms are observed, move to Step 4.

Step 4:

Moderate-intensity sport-specific training activities without body contact; if no symptoms are observed, move to Step 5.

Step 5:

Regular practice with body contact if it is required by the sport (no hard impact); if no symptoms are observed, move to Step 6.

Step 6:

Return to regular training and to competition.

If symptoms do reoccur, the participant must immediately stop any form of activity and be examined by a medical doctor before resuming training or competition. It is extremely important for the participant, the coach, and the medical personnel to be open and frank when evaluating the participant’s condition. If reoccurring symptoms are not disclosed, the participant may suffer permanent damage.

REPEATED CONCUSSIONS

Some data suggest that after a first concussion, a person might be more at risk of suffering from concussive injuries in the future. If a participant has a history of repeated concussions, he/she should participate in sport activities only when full clearance to do so is obtained from a medical professional.

NB: This information is based on the summary and agreement statement of the first international symposium on concussion in sport held in Vienna in 2001, and on a brochure produced by Judo Canada, entitled "Safety First - What You Need To Know About Concussions." The Coaching Association of Canada and Football Canada is grateful to the Concussion in Sport Group and its chair, Dr. Karen M. Johnston, Division of Neurosurgery, McGill University Health Centre, and to Judo Canada's director general, Andrzej Sadej, for permission to adapt this material. The Coaching Association of Canada and Football Canda also wishes to express its thanks to Dr. Johnston for reviewing this text.

Emergency Action Plan (EAP)

An Emergency Action Plan (EAP) is a plan designed by coaches to assist them in responding to emergency situations. The idea behind having such a plan prepared in advance is that it will help you respond in a responsible and clear-headed way if an emergency occurs.

An EAP should be prepared for the facility or site where you normally hold practices and for any facility or site where you regularly host competitions. For away competitions, ask the host team or host facility for a copy of their EAP.

An EAP can be simple or elaborate but should cover the following items:

Designate in advance who is in charge in the event of an emergency (this may very well be you).
Have a cell phone with you and make sure the battery is fully charged. If this is not possible, find out exactly where a telephone that you can use is located. Have spare change in the event you need to use a pay phone.
Have emergency telephone numbers with you (facility manager, fire, police, ambulance) as well as contact numbers (parents/guardians, next of kin, family doctor) for the participants.
Have on hand a medical profile for each participant, so that this information can be provided to emergency medical personnel. Include in this profile a signed consent from the parent/guardian to authorize medical treatment in an emergency.
Prepare directions to provide Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to enable them to reach the site as rapidly as possible. You may want to include information such as the closest major intersection, one-way streets, or major landmarks.
Have a first aid kit accessible and properly stocked at all times (all coaches are strongly encouraged to pursue first aid training).
Designate in advance a “call person” (the person who makes contact with medical authorities and otherwise assists the person in charge). Be sure that your call person can give emergency vehicles precise instructions to reach your facility or site.

When an injury occurs, an EAP should be activated immediately if the injured person:

Is not breathing
Does not have a pulse
Is bleeding profusely
Has impaired consciousness
Has injured the back, neck or head
Has a visible major trauma to a limb

Develop an Emergency Action Plan in consultation with a sport medicine expert and write it down so everyone involved is clear on his or her responsibilities. Keep this important record in your first-aid kit.

For more information concerning an Emergency Action Plan contact your local Football Provincial Sport Organization or Football Canada at admin@footballcanada.com.

Football Equipment and Safety (pdf)