Injured Player - Visible Blood

[NVFOA_Ump]

We know when we call an official's TO for an injury including visible blood, the injured player must leave the field and sit out for at least 1 play and cannot be "bought back in" by using a team timeout (3-5-10).


The question here is when we send out a player with visible blood, but do not call an official's TO, can that player return for the next play, after a team timeout, or even after an official's TO for penalty enforcement without sitting out at least 1 play?

[AlUpstateNY]

"Visible Blood" is a pretty general description.  At the NFHS/Youth league levels "player safety" is (should be) a very HIGH concern. A concern that EVERY coach should hold above  "playing time".  I'd much rather have a Coach upset abut denying "playing time" than a genuine concern about possible player safety from an "unchecked" wound. The idea, of holding a player out, is to insure the source (and severity) of the bleeding is assessed.

[ncwingman]

By rule, since you didn't invoke 3-5-10 by calling an officials time out, the player wasn't sent off for visible blood, but simply substituted and may return after a timeout. If you're sending him off, you need to stop the clock to make it apparent to both teams that the player is being sent off.

Now, if he tries to come back in while still visibly bleeding/covered in blood, you can send him back off and invoke 3-5-10 this time.

[refjeff]

By rule, if there is no official's timeout the player does not have to sit out a play and can return immediately.

Do yourselves a favor and call timeout for blood, injury, helmet off, or improper equipment.  It's all covered by the rules.  I've seen situations where the TO was not called and after substitution the offense had to hurry to avoid a delay of game, or the offense was held up so a defensive player could be brought on.  Don't make the situation worse, call the TO.

Remember that end of either half is the only thing that "buys" a player back onto the field.

[AlUpstateNY]

By rule, if there is no official's timeout the player does not have to sit out a play and can return immediately.

Do yourselves a favor and call timeout for blood, injury, helmet off, or improper equipment.  It's all covered by the rules.  I've seen situations where the TO was not called and after substitution the offense had to hurry to avoid a delay of game, or the offense was held up so a defensive player could be brought on.  Don't make the situation worse, call the TO.

Remember that end of either half is the only thing that "buys" a player back onto the field.

[AlUpstateNY]

From "Our" perspective, NOTHING trumps "player safety", that's why we're there. When there's doubt, "SEND" him out, so he can be properly (and competently) attended to.

[liseyah198]

By rule, if there is no official's timeout the player does not have to sit out a play and can return immediately.

Do yourselves a favor and call timeout for blood, injury, helmet off, or improper equipment.  It's all covered by the rules.  I've seen situations where the TO was not called and after substitution the offense had to hurry to avoid a delay of game, or the offense was held up so a defensive player could be brought on.  Don't make the situation worse, call the TO. With an ironic comment in a student chat like this is a solution for deadlines I got interested and decided to check it out. At https://nocramming.com/bid4papers-review I saw an honest breakdown: authors' price, interaction and real deadlines.

Remember that end of either half is the only thing that "buys" a player back onto the field.

Thanks for the info!

[ncwingman]

By rule, if there is no official's timeout the player does not have to sit out a play and can return immediately.

Do yourselves a favor and call timeout for blood, injury, helmet off, or improper equipment.  It's all covered by the rules.  I've seen situations where the TO was not called and after substitution the offense had to hurry to avoid a delay of game, or the offense was held up so a defensive player could be brought on.  Don't make the situation worse, call the TO.

Remember that end of either half is the only thing that "buys" a player back onto the field.

First off, I 100% agree with what you wrote. However, I wonder about a potential rule/change/adjustment, which I'm acknowledging is "as seen on TV".

Runner dives up the middle, linebacker dives in, stuffs the charge but the runner's helmet comes off in the contact. Nothing illegal, just the helmet comes off. The player knows immediately he has to sit out a play, picks up his helmet and immediately runs off the field. We kill the clock for the helmet, send him off, which takes 5 seconds and restart the clocks. By rule, the play clock is now 25 seconds instead of 40. However, since the player leaving took minimal time, the offense now has less time to run the next play. They should have 35 seconds left, but instead they have 25 on the restart.

How many people would be in favor of being able to pause/restart the 40 second clock for such an infraction? I get that it's kind of an additional penalty on the offense for having the helmet come off, but do we need that? If anything we'd be incentivizing the player to drag his feet getting off the field to allow his team additional time to call a play/substitute etc.

Alternatively (or in addition), the play clock can be reset to 25 if the officials feel the player is trying to draw it out. I feel this is where it all falls apart because we'd need good play clock operators who are paying attention and know the rules or can follow directions at least.

This would also not apply to a defensive helmet since the clock resets to 40 in that situation.

[dammitbobby]

That's not really any different than Team A committing a foul and getting a 25 second PC, right?  The only difference being, there was no foul, they just lost their helmet? IMO that's a fair 'penalty' (losing time off the PC) for something that is within A's control - not having their helmet strapped up tight enough. JMO

[AlUpstateNY]

That's not really any different than Team A committing a foul and getting a 25 second PC, right?  The only difference being, there was no foul, they just lost their helmet? IMO that's a fair 'penalty' (losing time off the PC) for something that is within A's control - not having their helmet strapped up tight enough. JMO

Often, the quest for imaginary absolute perfection can, too often, cause serious oversite of practical, common sense application.

[Kalle]

Runner dives up the middle, linebacker dives in, stuffs the charge but the runner's helmet comes off in the contact. Nothing illegal, just the helmet comes off. The player knows immediately he has to sit out a play, picks up his helmet and immediately runs off the field. We kill the clock for the helmet, send him off, which takes 5 seconds and restart the clocks. By rule, the play clock is now 25 seconds instead of 40. However, since the player leaving took minimal time, the offense now has less time to run the next play. They should have 35 seconds left, but instead they have 25 on the restart.

Are you really that quick in spotting the ball AND informing the referee AND the referee checking that all officials are ready in five seconds from the end of the previous down? I'd say that in the best circumstances it takes at least 15 seconds, thus not taking any time from the offense.

[NVFOA_Ump]

Are you really that quick in spotting the ball AND informing the referee AND the referee checking that all officials are ready in five seconds from the end of the previous down? I'd say that in the best circumstances it takes at least 15 seconds, thus not taking any time from the offense.

Got to agree with Kalle here.  This is a non-issue that I have never seen (in 28 years), and don't expect to ever see in the future.  In fact, you'd be hard pressed to get this all done in 15 seconds, never mind 5.