Below is a clip of an article by USA HOCKEY. Here is the link for the full article http://www.usahockey.com//Template_Usahockey.aspx?NAV=ET_02&ID=292512.
Scroll down to where it says Safety on the Ice to find the link.
I put in italics the basic idea from the article. That ideas is Prevention is the key. It clearly states prevention as the key to lowering injuries and to never; Hit to the Head, Check from Behind, Drop Your Head Near the Boards, Leave Your Feet to Give a Check or Use Your Stick as a Weapon. Common sense right? Yes. Now more can be added to this but lets just start with no checks to the head (lets include the neck) and no checks from behind.
Why don't these two things carry more weight such as an immediate game ejection? Think about it. Every player would know if I hit a player from behind and they fall into the boards, I get ejected. Every player knows that if I check or hit a player in the neck or head, I get ejected. Is this not ultimate prevention? Remove the offendiing player. State a clear message of what you can't do. Two minutes, I'm sorry, is not a deterrent. A 10 minute misconduct is not a deterrent. Being ejected is a deterrent. Prevention as USA Hockey states is the key. Prevent the hits.
How many injuries would this prevent? USA Hockey needs to do several things. The first thing is develop a better training system for referees and a better feedback system to referees. Take a look at USA Hockey rules. They have a lot of mandatory calls that should be made that aren't. Why are they in there? To prevent injuries. The other thing USA Hockey needs to do is clarify the rules for any neck or head contact and hits to back. As it is now it's too gray. And many referees aren't trained enough to manage games. Why leave our children's safety in the hands of under-trained referee's? Make it easy for them and make mandatory penalties, like game ejection, for hits to the neck, head and back that causes boarding. It is time to change the rules.
(everything below is from the article)
PREVENTION IS THE KEY
The intrinsic hazards of playing hockey cannot be completely eliminated; but the risk of injury can be substantially reduced. Fortunately, the overwhelming majority of hockey injuries are mild. Most injuries involve the soft tissues: bruises (contusions), muscle pulls (strains), ligament tears (sprains), and cuts (lacerations). Serious injuries are possible and players should avoid dangerous tactics:
NEVER
Deliver a hit to the head
Check from behind
Drop your head near the boards
Leave your feet to give a check
Use your stick as a weapon
More of the article.
PREVENTION OF ICE HOCKEY INJURIES
Michael J. Stuart MD
Chief Medical Officer, USA Hockey
Professor of Orthopedics, Co-Director of Sports Medicine
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, MN
Ice hockey participation in the United States continues to increase with the expansion of youth, high school and junior programs. Opportunities for girls and women grow every year. This finesse sport requires speed, power, and teamwork. The unique nature of the game of hockey results in specific injury patterns, some of which can be avoided. A working knowledge of injury risk, sport-specific conditioning and prevention strategies are essential for athletes, coaches, parents and administrators.
The chance of sustaining an injury is dependent on many variables including the level of participation, player position, game versus practice exposure, protective equipment, violent behavior, and personal susceptibility due to pre-existing injury and style of play. The incidence of injury can be compared for youth, high school, Junior A, college and professional hockey players. Injuries occur much more frequently in games than in practice. The risk of injury in games increases with each higher level of participation. (Table 1, Figure 1)
TABLE 1
Game Injuries
Level per 1,000 hours
Mite 0.0
Squirt 2.7
Peewee 12.1
Bantam 11.8
High School 31.1
Junior A 96.1
Junior A hockey injuries are much more frequent (96.1 per 1000 player-game hours) than youth and high school levels based upon a three year study of a single team in the United States Hockey League. Prior to 2002, Junior players age 18 and older were allowed to play with no facial protection, a half shield or a full cage/shield. Players were 25 times more likely to be injured in a game as compared to a practice. The increased incidence of game injuries in Junior hockey has been attributed in part to nonuniform facial protection among players resulting in numerous facial lacerations. Although this explanation seems plausible, other factors may also influence injury occurrence. Another study that examined the predictors of injury in high school ice hockey players concluded that almost all injuries occurred in games, as a result of collisions. Fatigue played an important role since players in the high playing time group had significantly more injuries than players in the low playing time group. High stress and the presence of an injury in the preseason approached significance in predicting injuries during the year. The relationship of player position to injury is variable with some studies reporting forwards and others defensemen as most susceptible. Injuries may not be associated directly with player position but rather are influenced by the player’s perception of their role on the team. The more aggressive, physical player who seeks out frequent contact may be at increased risk. All researchers agree that injuries to goalies are infrequent.
In an effort to reduce hockey injuries, research studies have been undertaken in order to better understand the risks and to implement preventative measures. Rule changes, enforcement of existing rules and protective equipment standards are attempts to improve the safety of the game. Attention has been also been directed toward education of coaches, players, parents, and officials. Potentially dangerous actions such as checking from behind and the use of the helmet or the stick as a weapon must be eliminated from the game.
PREVENTION IS THE KEY
The intrinsic hazards of playing hockey cannot be completely eliminated; but the risk of injury can be substantially reduced. Fortunately, the overwhelming majority of hockey injuries are mild. Most injuries involve the soft tissues: bruises (contusions), muscle pulls (strains), ligament tears (sprains), and cuts (lacerations). Serious injuries are possible and players should avoid dangerous tactics:
NEVER
Deliver a hit to the head
Check from behind
Drop your head near the boards
Leave your feet to give a check
Use your stick as a weapon
A preseason screening examination by an experienced athletic trainer or physician may identify existing injuries and uncover deficiencies. Sports-specific conditioning avoids physiologic overload, which can result in overuse injury. Effective stretching decreases the risk of soft tissue trauma such as a muscle strain. Proper fitting, quality equipment is essential for all players. Although players are often resistant to equipment changes, damaged, worn-out or undersized equipment may be ineffective. Post-injury evaluation ensures appropriate treatment and guidance on safe return to play. Hockey players should have an appreciation for the types, locations, and mechanisms of the more common injuries in order to implement preventative measures.
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