Se la Premiership diventa una “cavia”: nuove regole per TMO e “concussion”

Il massimo campionato inglese diventa un laboratorio: l’Aviva Premiership – che ha rinnovato per quattro anni il ricco contratto di sponsorizzazione con Land Rover – è stata infatti scelta dall’IRB per testare alcune importanti novità nel regolamento, che se dovessero funzionare bene potrebbero essere estese a tutti i tornei e ad ogni latitudine.
Tutto questo a partire dall’imminente primo di settembre, quando il Double Header di Twickenham (le due sfide in programma sono Wasps-Harlequins e Saracens-London Irish) darà il via al torneo 2012/2013.

Vediamo le novità, iniziando dal TMO, dove verrà introdotto il nuovo protocollo che si sta testando anche nella Currie Cup sudafricana. Sostanzialmente gli spazi ell’arbitro “televisivo” vengono allargati ai falli pericolosi, alle intere azioni che si concludono poi in meta e per verificare se una palla calciata in un piazzato è effettivamente entrata o meno tra i pali. Ma non solo.

Ecco il testo completo:

This trial, which has been supported by the RFU’s Laws Sub Committee and the TMO Steering Group, will take place in all matches shown live on either ESPN or Sky Sports, and allow the match referee to refer to the TMO incidents that have led to the scoring of a try at any point from the last stoppage in play. In addition, the TMO will be able to intervene in incidents of foul play.

The full TMO trials are as follows:

1. TMO may be referred to as per the current application as well as:
2. When match officials are unsure whether foul play has occurred anywhere on the field or in-goal
3. When match officials believe there may have been an infringement by the team that scored a try
4. When match officials believe a try was prevented by an infringement
5. To confirm the success or otherwise of kicks at goal

Infringements listed by the IRB include knock-ons, forward passes, player in touch, off-sides, obstructions, tackling a player without the ball, foul play and double movement in the act of scoring.

How does TMO adjudicate?

• When asked to intervene by the referee (except for incidents of significant foul play where the TMO can ask the referee to stop the game)
• Referrals can now go back to the previous restart, i.e. penalty kick, free kick, lineout, scrum, kick-off
• If it is not clear, the TMO is to advise there is no clear evidence and the referee will need to make a decision
• TMO to advise on the type of infringement, the recommended sanction and where play is to restart
• TMOs can be advised on infringements by the team that scored or touched down, as well as if a try has been prevented from being scored
• If there is doubt as to whether the try would have been scored the TMO must then advise the appropriate sanction
• If foul play is referred, the TMO is to make recommendations as to the appropriate sanctions, as an assistant referee can currently do.

Passiamo ora al “Pitch Side Concussion Assessment for player”, vale a dire un ulteriore controllo medico per i giocatori che durante il gioco hanno riportato un qualche tipo di commozione cerebrale.
Detto in poche parole: per gli atleti interessati l’arbitro può ordinare una sostituzione temporanea di 5 minuti. In questo breve lasso di tempo il giocatore infortunato verrà visitato da uno staff medico “terzo”, non legato cioè a nessuno dei due club in campo, che deciderà se lo stesso può rientrare in campo oppure essere definitivamente sostituito.
Anche in questo caso vi sottopongo il testo completo, sempre in inglese.

This trial of a five-minute temporary replacement and standardised assessment for players with suspected concussion will take place in all Premiership matches and follows successful initial trials in this year’s IRB Junior World Championship and IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy events.  

The PSCA protocols were developed by an IRB working group consisting of experienced international team physicians, including Dr Simon Kemp and RFU Community Medical Director Dr Mike England, a player representative, a French neurosurgeon and an Australian physician with a PhD in concussion.

When developing the protocols, the group were asked to ensure the protocols would improve player safety, not undermine the fabric of the game and not be open to tactical manipulation by coaches.

A PSCA can be requested by the player’s team doctor and the match referee if they suspect that a player may have suspected concussion.

Signs of suspected concussion:

• Suspected Loss of Consciousness
• Ataxia (unsteady on feet)
• Disorientated or confused
• Player appears to have been “dazed, dinged or had their bell rung”
• Inappropriate behaviour
• Other symptoms or signs suggesting a suspected concussion

Note that players in whom concussion is deemed to be confirmed at the time of their initial on pitch assessment (confirmed loss of consciousness by a medical practitioner or medical practitioner witnessed concussive convulsions or tonic-clonic posturing) will be definitively removed from the field of play.

Should the match referee have concerns regarding the wellbeing of a player he should prompt the team doctor by asking “Do you think the player requires a PSCA?”

An opposition Team Doctor is NOT Allowed to request a PSCA on an opposing player.

A PSCA shall be confirmed by the Match Referee to the Reserve Official via his communication device and by the hand signal – head touched on three occasions.

A player undergoing a PSCA can be temporarily substituted whilst the PSCA is completed. If the player undergoing a PSCA does NOT Return to the field of play the substitution becomes a permanent one

The temporary substitute may not take a penalty kick at goal or conversion.

The PSCA must be completed in five minutes (actual time). This period commences when the player leaves the field of play at the half way line and finishes when the player present himself to the Reserve Official cleared to return to play. The Match Referee and Reserve Referee will manage the players return to the field of play. 

The PSCA involves a standardised assessment of cognition (memory) using the Maddocks Questions, balance assessment by way of a 20second tandem stance balance test and a symptoms and signs assessment.

The presence of one or more symptoms, one incorrect Maddock’s question, more than four errors on balance testing in 20 seconds and the presence of one or more signs constitute an Abnormal PSCA, Concussion is confirmed and the player is definitively removed from further participation in the game. 

A player who satisfactorily completes his PSCA and in whom suspected concussion is therefore not confirmed can return to the field of play within the five minutes

If a player has a suspected concussion and a co-existing blood injury control of the bleeding will be the priority however the PSCA must be completed as soon as possible. If the bleeding can be controlled, suturing should be completed post PSCA. The total time available is 15 minutes to complete both the PSCA and control of bleeding.

A player failing to cooperate with a PSCA should be assumed to have concussion and be removed permanently from the game.

If a player has a second requested PSCA during a game the player should undergo a second PSCA as a separate and independent assessment. 

The PSCA Trial will be independently evaluated by the University of Bath