Player Welfare Emergency Action Planning Pitch-Side Management First Aid Concussion Management & Graduated Return To Play

1. Managing Emergency
Situations in
Professional Football
Johnny Wilson & Paulina Czubacka @athlete_rebuild
Athlete Rebuild

2. Player Welfare
Players’ health & wellbeing are
the most important
• The result
• Minute of the match
• Importance of the match
• And whether all substitutions
were made
Do not influence medical
decisions
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3. irway control with cervical spine protection
reathing
irculation and control of haemorrhage
isorder of the central nervous system
xposure of the whole body
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All on-field assessments
regardless
of perceived severity need to
follow
A-E approach
Exception: catastrophic bleed,
which needs to be dealt with as
priority

4. Why do we need EAP?
• Supports minimum standard of care
• Allows for immediate effective action
• Helps to minimise delay in providing care
• Facilitates effective teamwork
• the chances of errors
• stress levels of team members involved
• Supports constant learning and development
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5. Away Team
• Provide EAP plan copy for
away team
• Discuss EAP
• Discuss team/roles
• Provide on/off the pitch
support if required
• Share ideas
• Reflect on practice
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6. Writing an emergency action plan
• Does your club have one?
• Is it up to date?
• How often do you review it?
• Does it contain all relevant information?
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7. Emergency Action Plan:
Match Day Protocol
Name of the Club:
Venue:
Staff:
Main Contact Numbers:
Reception:
Club Secretary:
Medical Staff on Duty:
Head of Medicine:
Club Doctor:
First team Physiotherapist:
First Team Sport Therapist:
Paramedic:
Extrication Team:
Pre Match Briefing:
Visiting team’s medical staff to attend a pre-match
briefing 30 mins prior to kick off
Location of Services:
Treatment Room:
Stretcher Bearers:
Paramedics:
Ambulance:
Ground layout:
Share your match day EAP protocol
with the away team
Does your club have one?
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8. Nearest NHS Hospital:
Address
Services available
Contact number
Approximate transfer time
Emergency Equipment Available:
A: Airway adjuncts / suction / face mask / non rebreathe mask /
oxygen
B: Bag & valve mask / Large-bore cannula
C: AED / cannulas / fluids
D: Cervical collar / head blocks / spinal board / scoop stretcher
/ straps / bucket / box splint
E: Facilities (treatment Room) / adjustable plinths / ice /
blanket
Emergency Action Plan:
Match Day Protocol
Minor Injuries / Medical conditions
Local Anaesthetics
Wound care dressings / Suturing Kit
Salbutamol inhaler
Hypoglycaemia kit
Epipen
Medical Emergency Scenarios:
Life Threatening
Non-Life Threatening
Extrication
In ideal scenario you will have access to
following resources & plan for all scenarios @athlete_rebuild

9. Assigned roles
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10. Examples of organisations
who have incorporated EAP
as part of their practice…

11. Crewe Alexandra FC
Examples of organisations who have
incorporated EAP as part of their
practice…

12. Examples of
organisations who have
incorporated EAP as part
of their practice…

13. Examples of organisations
who have incorporated EAP
as part of their practice…

14. Match Day Run-On Bag
What’s in your run-on bag? Is it necessary? Can you defend it?
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15. Away Travel Bag
It is better to have it & not to use it
Then need it & not have it@athlete_rebuild

16. Trauma Bag
Carry it everywhere…
You never know when
you may need it
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17. Players’ role
Senior Players to
ask injured player if
they require
treatment (do not
move player)
Subs to warm up if medical
staff have to attend to player
Manage the officials
For effective EAP- everyone needs to be involved
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18. CONCUSSION MANAGEMENT
ENHANCED CARE SETTING
FA concussion guidelines - The FA,@athlete_rebuild

19. IMMEDIATE MANAGEMENT
2. Maddocks Questions
1. Recognise the
symptoms
3. Immediately remove the player
with concussion or suspected
concussion from training or play
4. Player should be medically
assessed
Players with concussion or
suspected concussion:
• should have a physical and
cognitive rest
• should not be left alone
• should not drive a motor vehicle
• should not consume alcohol
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If player does not have
mental capacity to make
decision
(e.g. concussion) club's
medical staff takes
decision about removal
from the field of play

20. RECOVERY PROCESS: GRADUATED RETURN TO
PLAY IN ENHANCED CARE SETTING- ADULT
PLAYERS
Stage Activity
1. Rest 24h minimum rest post initial head injury. (Clearance by club
doctor recommended)
24hourssymptomfreeperstage
2. Light Aerobic
Activity
Light jogging/ static bike, low to moderate intensity.
No resistance training.
3. Sport
Specific Activity
Running drills, change direction drills
4. Non contact
light training
Return to more complex higher intensity drills including skill
based elements e.g. passing, kicking etc. Progressive
resistance training can be recommenced. (Clearance by club
doctor)
5. Return to full
training
Return to full contact training
6. Return to
Play
Return to competition with full cognitive and physical recovery
and medical clearance.
Earliest RTP = 6days
Progression to next stage only allowed if symptom free for
Initial head injury Incident
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21. Contact us on @athlete_rebuild

22. References
• FA Advanced Resuscitation and Emergency Aid Course Manual (AREA) 2010.
• FA concussion guidelines - The FA, 2015.
• Hoffman JR, Mower WR, Wolfson AB,Todd KH, Zucker MI. Validity of a set of clinical criteria to rule
out injury to the cervical spine in patients with blunt trauma. N Engl J Med 2000;343:94-9.
[Erratum, N Engl J Med 2001;344:464.
• Resuscitation Council UK GuidelinesShah, R., Chatterjee, A.D. and Wilson, J., 2017. Creating a
model of best practice: the match day emergency action protocol. Br J Sports Med, pp.bjsports-
2017.
• Stiell IG, Wells GA, Vandemheen KL, Clement CM, Lesiuk H, De Maio VJ, Laupacis A, Schull M,
McKnight RD, Verbeek R, Brison R. The Canadian C-spine rule for radiography in alert and stable
trauma patients. Jama. 2001 Oct 17;286(15):1841-8.