Refs on front lines of brain-trauma prevention

But in California, the rules are even more stringent. If a referee or coach pulls a player out of a game due to what they feel is concussion-like behavior, the player cannot re-enter the game. Even if there's a doctor on the sideline and he or she determines the player has not suffered a concussion, the player is banned from coming back into the game.

Previously, players had to be "unconscious or apparently unconscious" before an official could remove them from a game. While many people feel the new rule is an excellent one to protect players from potential major harm -- after all, most kids don't like coming out of a game for any reason, especially in an emotional, testosterone-filled and macho sport such as football -- you're now counting on referees to make clinical decisions.

You can see where things could get a little dicey. It's the fourth quarter, with league and playoff implications on the line, and a key player is sidelined because a referee has determined he has exhibited signs of a concussion. The next thing you know, the coach is angry, the player is furious and the player's parents are throwing a fit in the stands.

You just hope it doesn't happen. If a referee takes an impact player out and it is subsequently determined he didn't sustain a concussion, the ref will be criticized for being overly cautious. On the other hand, if a ref doesn't take that player out and the athlete is later determined to have suffered from severe head trauma, the referees at the game will be lambasted for falling asleep at the wheel.

It's a fine line. The bottom line is, unlike other injuries, we can't see damage to the brain. That's why when it comes to head-related matters, it truly is better to be safe than sorry. Mike King, who is entering his 15th year as a referee, acknowledges he has an even bigger responsibility now. However, King feels things aren't going to be too different than what he's done in the past.

"In general as officials, we've always been on the lookout for players who have been injured or with concussion-type problems," he said. "Safety has always been the most important item on our agenda. Obviously, what we say on the field now (regarding concussions) stands, and by rule, we can a pull a player from the game. It's kind of one of those things in that if we see a kid go down and they show signs or symptoms of a concussion, we're going to err on the side of safety. We're going to ask the player to be removed from the game."

However, King said there will be cases when a player gets up slowly and doesn't show signs of a concussion -- "He will be able to answer questions fine and clearly," King said -- in which case he can send an athlete to the sideline to have a coach or trainer "take a look at him." In that situation, an athlete can return to the game, as long as he or she was not deemed to be displaying signs of a concussion by a referee.

At the Northern California Football Officials Association (NCFOA) meeting last Saturday at Sacred Heart Cathedral, King said referees were further educated on concussions from doctors from the University of California at San Francisco. In the meeting, referees were handed out cards that listed signs of a concussion.

King, who often serves as a crew chief in the games he referees, said he's going to carry the card with him at all times. Referees are not mandated to have the card handy at games, but encouraged to do so.

"I think the new rule is a good one," King said. "As a parent, I'd rather think of safety as more important than anything else. If a kid shows any signs, symptoms or behavior consistent with having a concussion, they're going to come out of the game. I think any parent would want their child off the field. I know I would."

Despite the new responsibility, King feels confident with the task at hand.

"I'm ready for another season, and I think every official (around here) is ready," he said.

In most years, it's the teams, players or coaches who grab the prep football headlines. This season, however, the issue of brain-related injuries have taken center stage.

Emanuel Lee can be reached: emanuel@smdailyjournal.com and (650) 344 5200, ext. 109.