BAFA Rules Committee

A stated, I have provided the first aid and ambulance cover to a number of football games over a 5 or 6 year period. Although I have transported a number of players to hospital, none of them has been life threatening. In my experience, fractures and dislocations are the only injuries requiring the use of an ambulance. All of the casualties I have transported could of been delt with by the local Ambulance Service. I would be more than happy to offer advice and volunteer my time to advise the BAFA if it would like it.

although medical cover can be expensive, i feel from a personal point of view, safer knowing it is there. i would not feel safe knowing that someone who doesnt have experience could be dealing with a spinal injury. in this situation a mis reading of the situation by someone not fully trained could end up making an injury worse. i also believe putting someone such as a coach who has completed basic training in this position would leave them liable for any mistakes made. paramedics regularly train and study injuries etc whereas someone who has done a course is liable to forget what is taught. as a pool lifeguard i had to complete 1st aid training for a minimum 2 hrs a month, does a coach? and in my opinion there is a greater risk of injury in a 1 hr game than at a pool for an hour.

As a past president of the Essex Blades and a current sabbatical officer at the Students' Union, I speak from four years experience regarding the issue of ambulances at games. BUSA rugby (arguably equally if not more dangerous than our sport), only require the presence of a first aider at the scene. We pay approx £35 for St John first aid cover at rugby matches. American Football on the other hand costs us £150 per game, over the course of a regular season this costs us at least £600. Unfortunately we were forced to use Essex County Ambulance for one game, which cost us £300. In an environment where American Football must compete for interest and members with sports such as soccer and rugby (who are greatly cheaper to play) we must pass on the cost to members. I strongly believe that the current proposed increases in cost will seriously threaten the sport in this country. The scrapping of the ambulance rule will help us to keep costs low as well as assist us in encouraging others to take up this great sport.

As long as someone is qualified to give cpr to any life threatening conditioni think this should be the basic minimum requirement.

As someone who has completed Level 1 BAFCA training, and having done a First Aid at Work qualification with St.J's ambulance, I would ot be happy treating some of the injuries I have seen occur on a football field. Ambulances are expensive, but the potential for serious injuries is sufficiently high that their presence is important for peace of mind IMO. Let's face it, refs cost just as much as an ambulance, an we wouldn't connsider playing without them...

As the sport involves so much contact, I have always been a supporter of having an ambulance and trained medics present. There are a lot of Players who come into the game every year who pull on pads and have no concept or knowledge of how to keep themselves safe. Like most polls, Im sure there will be many good comments for and against having an ambulance present. Hopefully financial aspects dont play a major part in any decision.

At the majority of the games i have officiated, where there has been an injury seriuos enough to warrant hospital,the attending ambulance has summoned the 999 service. As there are hundreds of other sports (football,rugby.hockey) that do not have this requirement, and seem to manage ok , the sooner this archaic rule is dumped the better.I think it stems from the time when games were played in fields miles from anywhere and the mobile phone was not in general use. It does no good to the image of the game where a team has often travelled 100 miles to be told, the game is off. The ironic thing is most teams then opt to play a scrimmage game WITHOUT officials just to justify them being there. Please let common sense prevail. Just have suffiencient cover of quqlified people, preferably on the teams roster.

At virtuall every game I referee, the medical cover will "call in county" if they get a problem which requires transportation to hospital. Given that this appears to be the standard approach, I think it is better to have highly qualified personnel rather than particular vehicle types present. An ambulance can't treat a player correctly, a qualified paramedic can.

Based on a conversation this week with our new Ambulance provider, it seems the Ambulance Service may soon insist ALL organised events will be required to provide some form of Medical cover & transport to the Emergency Department. He feels it will not be necessary for it to be Paramedic, Technician will be enough.

Basic Trauma treatment (immobilisation equipment) with a qualified specialist. A full size ambulance is not required, but a way of phoning for one is. Some one with the skills to identify and know how to immediatley treat serious life threatening injuries should be in attendance at all times. However most Football activities take place outside of games (e.g. practice) and so Coaches (at least 1 per team) should have a specific knowledge (obtained on a course) to recognise and deal with (immediate first aid) the serious life threatening injuries. This would increase the safety of players significantly, for relatively low cost. The courses are perhaps something BAFA could arrange with a national first aid/trauma organisation. Also perhaps BAFA could perhaps negotiate a discount with a national Medical support provider to cover all games. (This is something I will be suggesting should be investigated as part of the development agenda) this would mean that BAFA would be able to ensure that all games are covered to the same standard (what ever that is). Please feel free to contact me to discuss.

Due to the nature of the sport, i really dont believe that you can compromise on not having an ambulance available at games. A good example of this was Djibril Cisse. Even though this was only football (soccer) when he broken his ankle, it was found out that hadnt the first aiders been trained paramedics then he may have lost his ankle due to the loss of blood flow. The spectrum of potential injuries is so high, we need the best cover we can possibly have to make split second decisions

Even as a qualified physiotherapist i value the presence of trained paramedics and would feel uncomfortable if they were not in attendance. The ambulance is not a neccessity, providing the paramedic and appropriate equipment are available eg stretcher spinal board splints collars etc.

First Aid instruction has altered significantly in recent years due to the possibility of litigation and danger to the volunteer from some conditions that might be carried by patients. To have individuals with life preserving skills and the experience to know when not to move a patient is far more important than a vehicle which is very rarely used. Unless you have para-medic crewed ambulances they generally will not (and should not) be prepared to transport serious casualties. The ambulance often only acts as shelter for the casualty awaiting the 999 ambulance. Stretchers are essential to help in the removal of casualties who are rendered immobile but who have no life threatening injury. The ability to remove a face cage with bolt cutters or something similar could avoid the trauma of choice regarding dealing with a blocked airway vs the danger of removing the helmet. I suggest advice is sought on what tool would be best suited to this purpose - with Titanium cages on the increase it should be a tool that can cut the plastic attachements - possibly simply a very sharp stanley knife (I have used these to remove face cages that were rusted in before dealing with the offending screws with a hacksaw)

General sports injuries may be more common on the American football field, however, i would'nt presume that medical emergencies are any more common than RTA's or serious accidents. In the event of a medical emergency a 999 call would be appropriate. For games that are played miles from a good general hospital or air ambulance (spinal injuries,traumas?), the league could enforce more stringent cover.

Having a ambulance prsent at games can put a club under alot strain. In our experience a ambulance service which we were using backed out of attending our games. this created problems for the clubs particpation in the league games. Overall, there has never been a incident incident which reguired the use of a ambulance, merely small jobs which could be handled by a first aider.

HAving sustained injuries during a game medical staff were able to help but I think it is important that medics used have a more specific knowledge of sports injuries. There is always a temptation for them to 'patch up' players so that the medics can go straight home at the end of the game rather than helping the player return to the field (if possible) or giving information about where best to have the injury examined. A greater knowledge of sports medcine should be available at games as this will result in more players healing correctly and thus prolong their career and general health

I am also a football referee - when breaks happen, we call 999 - in an emergency the ambulance is there within a reasonable time, and more often than not the injuries onfield in US Football are treatable by a qualified person. More often than not now, the ambulance onsite will never leave in any case, but will call in county ambulances

I believe that an ambulance on site for games is a good idea. My problem with the system as it stands is the differing levels of cover that some teams provide. At one game, there was only a jeep, with one medic, and in this game a player broke his leg, and had to wait 35 minutes for an ambulance to arrive. If we are to continue to demand an ambulance, I beleive better steps need to be taken to ensure that the quality of cover is consistent. If this cannot be achieved, then I would rather we had to provide trained professionals and rely on the NHS ambulance service.

i broke my leg quite badly earlyer this seanson and am so greatfull for the ambulance (which was st johns) being there they can assess the situation quickly and provide medical treatment there and then. they also will not give in to preshure from refs to get the game started. witch could mean that an injurey is made worse by some one unquilified moving a player while your waiting for an ambulance

I could be convinced that any nurse qualified in adult nursing or a physiotherapist may provide appropriate cover but my concern is that if they have specialised in, say, stroke medicine or care of the elderly, they may only have undertaken limited trauma/sports medicine. I think it should be clearly stated that medical cover has responsibility for ALL participants (players, coaches, officials, cheerleaders, stats person etc.); they are not only there for the teams. We could not have a situation where, for example, each team provides one person as medical cover who are only prepared to take responsibility for their own team members. Happy to discuss.

I do not beleive that having equipment e.g. splints or stretcher is sufficient. There has to be someone capable of using the equipment safely and effectively. I am a First Aid instructor and I know that first Aiders are not always trained to use this equipment. I have not answered the first question becuase I do not believe that a first aider should be regarded as having the same status as a doctor or physioltherapist and consequently capable of giving the same standard of care, which this rule implies.

I don't feel that having an ambulance is a necessity; rather a drain on club funds. Safety is always a priority but there is no need for ambulances at each game...

i feel an ambulance is unnessary If teams have fully qualified first aiders then and ambulance can be called. most rugby matches get by without ambulance cover. They can call an air ambulance if needed in kent

I feel that the need for the presence of an ambulance is wrong. Many a game has been delayed or postponed because of no ambulance. As a player I have experienced having to wait for an ambulance to come back and it completely ruins the game as you lose the pace of the game amongst other things.

I have been involved in amateur American football in the UK since 1982 and I have been a BAFRA member for three years. In all that time I have only been involved in two potentially life-threatening situations, one with a player, one with an injured spectator (both with good outcomes). The current guidelines in the rulebook are excellent, but I would make one change - the people providing the medical cover should currently be in practice in the appropriate discipline (trauma, A&E or orthopaedics) which will ensure (hopefully) that they are current in the latest techniques - which are continually evolving. The presence of an ambulance capable of carrying a stretcher cas is seen by many as overkill, but it may prove vital if there is a serious head or neck injury or major internal bleeding where time is critical. A first-aider can easily deal with the minor scrapes and cuts assosciated with the game, but more serious injuries require personnel with higher qualifications

I have played 10 season of American football in the UK and have witnessed some immensely unsafe medical coverage. The injuries received during a game should be within the remit of an EXPERIENCED, KNOWLEDGEABLE first aider or a professional such as a doctor/ A&E nurse/ paramedic. Unfortunately the skills of volunteers vary widely from the safe to downright moronic. I have seen a centre with bilateral hand paraesthesia be told not to hit anything with his head by a first aider at halftime. I would hope that no professional would ever venture such a stupid piece of advice. My opinion is that although 99% of injuries requiring the involvement of the ambulance/ first aider can safely be dealt with by a qualified non-professional such a St John's ambulance volunteer it is only with the attendance of a professional or at the least a good St John's ambulance volunteer at the game that the other 1% can be adequately covered. There are 3 main problems here. Firstly, ambulances phoned at the time of an injury may not always be able to come very quickly and a seriously injured player should neither be left on a pitch for prolonged periods nor moved to the side of the pitch to await transport. Secondly, trauma and sports injuries, although usually self limiting and easily managed, can present a greater clinical challenge than at first thought even in experienced hands (ask any A&E doctor if they've ever sent someone home without an x-ray only to have a fracture proven days later). Thirdly, and most importantly, we live in a litigious society. I suspect most professionals in the medical or allied professions would be very wary of providing cover at an event where they cannot keep accurate records to support their actions in court. (NB Professionals are not covered by the good samaritans act and rely on their indemnity insurance which may not allow provision of medical coverage at such events). Football is a dangerous game and serious injuries do occur although thankfully very rarely. If no one is on hand to take a seriously injured party to hospital then the concept of safety goes out the window. I suspect that the current system of having a first aider (provided they know what they are doing), an ambulance and a phone available at all times is about as good as you are going to get without insisting that a professional be present at the games - which of course would be far too expensive for most teams and in my opinion unlikely to yield significant improvements in player safety. If you want me to clarify anything please feel free to contact me at the above e-mail address. Best of luck coming to your decision. Simon Adams

I have recently commissioned a survey of my own with regards team management in bcafl. It has come to my attention that teams are spending a huge amount of money on ambulance cover amongst other things and I feel that a compromise should be reached in order to help the teams as much of this money could be used on development and equipment. I appreciate that it is vital to have medical support present during games however I question the use of private ambulances as certainly in Scotland very few are licensed to transport to hospital in the event of serious injury - a 999 ambulnce would still need to be called. I believe this to be the case with most english companies too. Perhaps having someone qualified to keep the imjured party comfortable until a 999 ambulance turns up would be more acceptable. I believe that all of us must work together to help the teams develop and the cost of providing the current cover is prohibitive to that, I have also noticed an extremely concerning variable in the standards that teams currently provide - perhaps keeping the rule in but working with one ambulance oranisation with a pref supplier rate would also be acceptable. These are just some thoughts off the top of my head at the moment but I hope that it is of some use. I appreciate that it is not possible to keep everyone happy all of the time and I do not envy you having to make these decisions.

I have ticked First Aid kit, however I am not infavour of limb splints and do not think they should be used. I have also not ticked a stretcher as I believe it is much safer to wait until an ambulance arrives and allow them to move the person. I do not think an ambulance is essential, the most important thing is to have a phone to call 999 and get a fully qualified crew to the scene. The problem with insisting that ambulances are on site is that there is no guarantee of the quality of the service provided and the costs of up to £400 are prohibitive. Also, if they leave the ground to take someone to hospital the game has to be stopped anyway, therefore it is much safer to wait for a fully qualified and trustworthy team from the local authority to arrive and move the person safely. Having been involved with rugby prior to American Football, I do not understand where this requirement came from in the first place (as far as I am aware they do not insist on ambulances to be in attendance at High School level in the states, so why do we!!)

I must say I find the ambulance rule odd. From my experience they are almost always St. Johns Ambulance, and the medical knowledge of those people as far as sports injuries goes is limited at best. When I played / coached at Norwich Devils I felt less confident than I do now coaching at Delft Dragons. The reason for this is that we have worked hard to recruit one sports physiotherapist (in fact he teaches it), and a medical doctor. The medical doctor (my girlfriend!) is actually in gynaecology but of course spent many years studying medicine and doing her stints in the A&E wards. We also have players who have first aid, just in case. I feel this is safer. Combined, the knowledge shared between the two of them makes us very confident of the advice we receive. Not only have we been able to do the right thing before taking players to hospital (and knowing when we need to), but we also have the following benefits which I don't think you consider strongly enough in your questions 1) We are able to PREVENT turning minor injuries into serious injuries by early treatment on the sideline or pre-game, and by having the medical team have the last say on who can and can't go on the field. 2) We are able to give sound medical advice and exercises to give the injury a good, sound recovery. 3) Although not present at all practices, our medical team are always available by telephone to give advice on niggling injuries, and to get them healed before they escalate. It gives everyone confidence, which means we don't get guys playing tentatively on the field, which can lead to big injuries. If the medical team says "you can play if you can deal with the pain because it's not an injury which can be aggravated" then the player will either decide not to go back in, or will go back in confident that he won't make it worse by goin 100%. Sorry this is long but we have had huge benefits from this in recent years! My final comments on ambulances are that you're better off getting them from the hospital when you need them because you will get better medical knowledge in those ambulances than the St. Johns. WHAT IS VERY IMPORTANT...is that all playing fields should have clear, unobstructed access for ambulances!

i think an ambulance is only needed if the game is being played too far away from medical cover. i also feel that more qualified people could be used instead of an ambulace i.e a doctor.

I think an ambulance or other para-medic vehicle should be present but it does not have to be specifically one to accommodate a stretcher. In over 3 years, the only time I've seen an ambulance leave with a stretcher case, it was for a soccer player on an adjacent pitch. I think the minimum requirement is for trained medical staff with enough equipment to get an injured player off the pitch and keep him comfortable until a proper ambulance arrives.

I think it's essential to have first aid there, but as severe cases are usually handled by calling for an additional ambulance (so that the game may continue), I think it's reasonable to start the game with a more basic level of first aid support available.

i think that there must always be an ambulance and crew at every BAFL game because we can not relie on the 999 serive as the promble must be acted on as some as posbly.

I understand that it may waste the medical cover(s) time but at the end of the day this is a dangerous sport and at some point in a player's career they will be pleased it's there.

if an ambulance needs to take a player to hospital, depending on the seriousness of the players condition, one medic can take the player to the hospital whilst the other medic can stay at the feild side to provide cover until the ambulance returns. This would be even easier to implement if BAFCA covered more extensive first aid training in their training modules.

In all the time i have been an administrator for the Staffordshire University Stallions we have only needed the ambulance once, and even that wasnt necessary. I administer about 20 other sports (including rugby union and league, boxing and other high risk sports such as surfing, kayaking, rowing,etc. none of these require an ambulance to be present when training or playing. First aid reporting is vital and i consider it our duty of care to make sure all facilities and supplies are in place to get first and/or medical aid as soon as possible. On many occasions 999 has been dialled for a rugby game, which seems the best solution to me. All sports clubs (including american football) at staffs uni have a fully stocked first aid kit and one first aider per 15 members.

In my 20+ years of involvement in uk American football the care and treatment of players has become much better, general fitness and correct techniques plus good refeereing can prevent injuries. The cost and use of resources such as ambulances has always been a factor for all teams and their management and should bee looked at and decisions made according to each teams needs and insurance companies specifications.

In my 4 years of playing I have sadly been carted off in ambulances a number of times, each time I was given immediate pain relief that helped cope with the specific injury. Additionally I have seen a number of people go off in ambulances with rather more serious injuries and would not have been satisfied to see that player lying on the floor in agony for 30 mins to and hour(just estimate times not a commentary ont he NHS, it is also valid to say I would not like to see a player lying hurt for 5 mins more than they had to) waiting for an ambulance to come. Having played for and been involved with the running of two financially poor teams I am all to aware of how inviting the cost cutting would be. However the cost in people waiting for treatment is far higher than the cost of sound medical practice on the field. Personally I would never play American Football without a full medical team on hand, and if the rules are made more relaxed I would personally refuse to play in any game at a venue without an ambulance present at all times.

In my years at playing american footballat both college and at senior level I have rarely seen the Stjohns ambulances ever been needed to cope with certain injuries that a qualified paramedic or such like couldn't handle. This is especially the case as if any serious injuries o occur the said ambulance crews always rung for a 'proper' ambulance anyway, which in my mind begs the question why are we paying for the Stjohns crew and ambulance, when a crew and a stretcher would do especially if in an emergency they will ring a proffessional crew out anyway? To me it means clubs have to 'waste' money on an ambulance and crew especially as they are rarely needed.

in these days of higher and higher costs i feel an ambulance is an unnecessary cost to teams ,no ambulance is needed at rugby,or soccer games often taking place on ajoining pitches. with mobile phones been so commen now medical needs can quickly be filled without the expense to the team

In youth football it has to be assured that the best possible safety measures are in place. On medical cover at games, I feel that assurance is given by stipulating kitted games have an ambulance with attendants that have a higher knowlege than a first aider with a basic certificate.

Last season I played in Australia in the New South Wales Gridiron Football League (NSWGFL). I spoke at length with committee members on the team I played for about this exact issue. NSWGFL does not require any ambulance cover at games. Usually, games are played at a common, neutral venue and two or more games are played in one day. Those I spoke too didn't really regard ambulance cover as an issue and were very surprised to hear that ambulances were a prerequisite in the UK. When a player is injured in NSWGFL, the game is only delayed insofar as is necessary to safely move the injured player from the field. Injuries are attended to by teams' own trainers and if serious an ambulance is called. My understanding is that there is no liability issue. Also, the requirement of an ambulance at UK games is no guarantee of professional medical assitance. I have witnessed countless examples of incompetence and apathy of ambulance crews present at games. We could probably eliminate half of all postponements and abandonments by dropping the requirement for an ambulance. I certainly would feel just as safe, if not more so, in the hands of my team trainer than with the ambulance crews typical at UK games.

Medical cover needs to be stringent. We take the risk to play, quick and adequate treatment should not be a risk. MOney should not be a factor. Many teams would like to reduce medical cover to save costs, this is not an option. Teams struggle for finance and it would seem easy to target a facility that hopefully more often than not goes unused, but it is when it is most needed that it will be missed if not there and a tragedy occur.

Medical coverage in the sport varies. Often it is uncessesary to have an ambulance available to transport someone. I can only think of a single instance in 3 years (40 games) when an ambulance took a player to the hospital. However there can be circumstances when players require immediate assistance which can be temporary. Asthmatics needing oxygen isn't unheard of. Often these players only need a temporary assist and are soon back under full power. Also the ability to evaluate an injury is vital - no Coach should be making a medical decision. Therefore I would suggest that the best course of action is to have qualified medical coverage - with at least one person with experience of sports injuries/trauma. They should also have equipment which can move and imobilise a player - stretcher, neck brace and splints. An onsite ambulance might not be necessary - a treatment area should be. But a telephone able to call for an Ambulance is a must. It should be at the discretion of the Referee if the phone is workable. A check MUST be made of a "designated phone" to ensure if it is a mobile phone that it has coverage, credit and battery life.

More and more Ambulances at games are not taking casualties to the local hospital but are calling out County ambulances.......so why would they need to be there in the first place.........if adequate was available. . . . ps I thought the e-mail address was optinal!!!!!!!!!!!

Most private companyies will not leave a game, and will call regular ambulance if required

My opinion may have changed a great deal compared to what it may have been a year ago. Over the past season I have seen four major leg breaks, resulting in three of my team mates and one member of the opposing team being submitted to hospital for at least one day, on with a broken femur. In three of those cases sugery was required. Three of the four injuries I consider to be "freak accidents" or "part of the game", the fourth I believe being due to players inexperience. Whilst we were extremely unlucky in this past season I would say that in each case having an ambulance was vital, even if it was not used to transport the player to hospital. By lowering the standard of medical cover it will be more difficult to regulate, standard will drop and in the isolated incident when it is most needed cover may be found to be inadequate.

Nothing to add

Personally I would like to have two way radio cooms between touchline and ambulance as medics can often be too busy reading the paper and not hear the shouts for "medic"

Qualification of medical personnel - how is this checked? Should it go on home team management checklist/certification. While I would continue a game if minimum medical facilities were still available, the Referee must have the final decision (with consulation of two coaches) - not all situations can be covered by the rules.

Quality of medical services other than actuall 999 paramedics is extremely variable. The only guarantee of as proficient as possible treatment is to call 999. In the even of any serious injury, i would prefer to call 999 rather than allow gameday medical cover to treat. So in essence, all i consider essential, is a qualified first aider/physio to diagnose the need for an ambulance, or futher hospital care.

Responding only in a personal capactiy as a player i am reassured to know that there is adiquite cover provided by professional (not just trained) medical personnal at a game

Safety is the most important thing. If players get injured and can not play, there will be no games !

Some form of cover for the injured person to protect them from the elements, ie wind, rain and sun. The minimum medical cover would be a paramedic and a team registered 'first aider' to assist the paramedic. Would be better with two paramedics if possible.

St. Johns and Red Cross ambulances are a waste of time and money as all they can do is keep injured people dry, they can only transport people to hospital in the same capacity as any car. It has to be one way or the other; Proper (i.e. Ambulance Association) ambulances and crews (which I would prefer, but is too expensive for the majority of teams). or Qualified first aiders with appropriate equipment and a first aid station.

The ambulance cover is only usually provided by St Johns etc. by their own admission they will only treat minor injuries and would call the County ambulance service for anything more serious, they are themselves only trained first aiders that man these vehicles.A lot of the time anyone requiring a stretcher would be deemed serious enough not to be moved and County ambulance called, so having a stretcher on hand may not be of any use.

The current rules require that we have an ambulance and equipment, and specifies that we must have a "first-aider". The hardware is always OK, but the humans sometimes leave a lot to be desired! I spent several years in the St John Ambulance Brigade in my youth, and I certainly wouldn't want me looking after me if I was hurt!

The Medics are important at all times. I personally have never been seriously injured, but the amount of times you see a broken leg / arm / bad concussion. It's reassuring that medics are only a shout away to help the injured. Goodness knows how many people may have been seriously hurt permantly if it was not for the medics.

The most common "serious" injuries in this sport are broken limbs, very rare is there serious spinal injuries, so aslong as there nis suitable medical support coverinng the range of likely injuries then I consider this okay. St Johns Ambulance I do not believe can always be considered suitable for this. We do not have hearts attacks requring CPR, we rarely get toaly inconsious players, what we need is people who can identify orthopedic injuries and treat them safely with a knowledge of first aid. Whatever level this may be this would be the safeest option. Other wise a qualified first aider (from a well recognised organisation) and an phone to use in an emergency.

The requirement of an ambulance at a game is the greatest expense faced by most teams during the season. During my time as a player, manager and coach (16years) I can count on one hand the amount of times an ambulance has had to leave a game due to a player being taken to hospital. I can also say that a more than a few games have been delayed due to an ambulance being late or having to be cancelled due to one not turning up. Due to the nature of our sport most teams use facilities at sport centres which in themselves have good, if basic, medical facilities and usually have staff qualified in basic first aid. This together with a good team first aid kit and a qualified medic should prove sufficient at the sidelines. With the proliferation of mobile phones it is very easy to call 999 if an ambulance is required.

The safety and possibly lives of players/officials/spectators should not be compromised for the simple fact that some teams want to save money on the proper medical cover. Ronnie Barnes (Bristol Packers #33) died playing Britball. It can happen

This is actually going against what my team are gunning for. i believe that the pace of the game, size of players and aggression require an ambulance. not being funny but everyone who plays this game are big boys with the exception of some small guys. its a full on contact sport. there needs to be an ambulance! it is expensive but the day someone dies on the pitch for cost savings will be a sad day!

Unfortunatly I broke my ankle very badly (three places) playing one year. Basically an ambulance was present but was completly useless. Amongst suggestions of "walking it off" and "its just cramp" I was in a great deal of discomfort. In the end two qualified first aiders from the sports centre came over and took over calling an ambulance. Basically In my years in football a St Johns ambulance is a waste of money and the ambulance itself (that isnt allowed to leave the field) is a luxury no team can comfortably afford. Please change the rules.

We have the option as do most of having a 4x4 with 2 paramedics onboard from the same company as we get the ambulances. They have all the same equipment but can not take people to a hospital. With several hospitals just minutes away and fast response times in bristol we do not feel it neccessary to have anything more than this as these guys can take care of the injury until the ambulance arrives - meaningthe game does not need to stop and that medical cover never need leave the game. Lengthy stops waiting fo rambulances to return to continue the game can not only be disruptive to the flow of the game but can be unsafe increasing th erisk of pulled muscles etc. Most games are also played with no shelter from the elements so either you are cooling off to the point of being cold in the rain or you are being boiled alive in the heat of the mid day sun. The 4x4 cover is around £75 cheaper on average and for a youth team that is a huge saving across a season. I think there should always be cover at a game and the game should not play with out it but do not feel it has to be an ambulance

Where we are based in Colchester, there is an ambulance station across the road. I know this also to be true for UEA and University of Birmingham and many others - though I cannot speak in official capacity for them. At Senior League I play alongside many trained first aiders including a fireman and paramedic and they are frequently appalled by the first aid cover that is provided by Ambulance crews, especially at such exorbitant prices. Getting rid of the ambulance rule is long overdue and it should be done, in my opinion, post haste - you have the Blades full support.

Which of the following statements best describes your view about ambulances. I was tempted to vote for phoning only but then thought that this would depend on how far away the venue was from the ambulance or more pertinently, how long it will take for an ambulance to arrive. For that reason and the need to keep an injured player warm, I think an ambulance is necessary.

While appreciating the financial constraints that almost every team has to work under, we would be strongly against any reduction in the minimum gameday requirements. East Kilbride Pirates were unfortunate enough to suffer a player fatality due to injury sustained on the field of play, and although it was over 15 years ago, we still remeber the occasion all too well.

Whilst the cost of providing medical cover is quite high, this is something that is essential to the integrity and safety of our sport. It offers "peace of mind" to players, coaches and club officials who in most cases are not skilled in dealing with the kinds of injuries that can be sustained playing Football. I'd gladly pay for a service hoping that I never need to use it, but feel safe in the knowledge that it's there if I did require it.

Why are BAFRA debating this issue when it is a league management issue if the league stipulate that the medical cover is at present adequate then so be it. If they want to reduce the cover and a player is badly injuried and the league could then be defending a civil claim for failing is it DUTY OF CARE!. BAFRA need to state it case and then it is up to BAFA to deal with the issue. Remember all communication has to be in writing and recorded. They say if you think the cost of health & safety in too high try having an accident. Regards Scotty #208

with my job in the Cambridgeshire Fire Service, we get a slightly higher level of first aid training than most. Over my 8 years in this post while playing or coaching football I have seen same major concerns with medical cover. Some years ago I played for Gwent Mustangs, and during a game one of our opponents had his leg broken in 4 places during a play. I dont think I would like to be sitting their waiting for an ambulance to arrive for an injury like this. Whilst playing with the Cambridgeshire Cats, a player with a possible neck injury was asked to take his helmet off, and when put on a stretcher the head was not going to be supported. This my a supposed qualified St Johns Ambulance. A pre-season game this season with the Saxons we had a player with neck pains again, and the paramedics came out with a scoop stretcher and never thought about head immobilisation. In a regular seaosn game this year one of our opponents went to our ambulance with suspected concussion. The medics diagnosed this and wanted him rushed to hospital. Unfortunately the vehicle broke down atthe pitch and a NHS ambulance had to be rushed there. I do know that the injuries themselves are accidents I hope these incidents highlight the need for an ambulance crew on the field. Especially as some of these were from apparent qualified paramedics, and if this happens what may happen with only first aiders. Gareth Boyd