:: SportsSafety.org/articles/coaching-and-safety/
Give 'Em Room
Author: Richard P. Borkowski
When it comes to athletic facilities, close quarters are definitely not more comfy, and they can lead to unnecessary injuries.
Richard P. Borkowski, EdD, CAA, is a sport safety consultant based in Narberth, Pa. The former Director of Physical Education and Athletics at the Episcopal Academy in Merion, Pa., his most recent book is titled The School Sports Safety Handbook, published by LRP Publications, in Horsham, Pa.
Athletic Management, 12.2, February/March 2000, http://www.momentummedia.com/articles/am/am1202/ovogiveroom.htm
For most athletic programs, space is a treasured commodity. If only the gymnasium was a little bigger ... if only the wrestling room could hold one more mat ... if only we could squeeze in one more practice field. We tend to want to cram as much as possible into our athletic areas. However, when it comes to the empty space between the actual playing surfaces and out-of-play areas, it's best to not think of these as extra space where you can fit this or that. Rather, these spaces between the game's boundary lines and walls, hills, and spectators need to be maintained as clear, unobstructed areas. Whether you call these safety zones or buffer zones, they are a risk management procedure often neglected.
How much buffer space should you have in order to reduce the chances of your athletes running into things? As much as possible—and at least the minimum suggested for the sport you are playing.
My personal watermark is to always try for a "first down" (30 feet) in outdoor situations (including keeping 60 feet between two adjacent playing areas) and five to 10 feet for indoor play. If that is impossible, adjust the situation. That may mean padding the potential hazard, adjusting the playing field, or decreasing the number of participants.
Four Thoughts
The following points are the main ones to consider when creating and maintaining buffer zones around your playing areas.
- Read the rule book for your sport. For example, the 1998 National High School Federation Basketball Rules Book suggests a minimum of three feet, and preferably 10 feet, of open space outside the court. Other sports have varying suggestions.
- Assess your practice and playing areas, and use your common sense. Look at the situation and ask yourself, "What if my player leaves the playing area? Are there hazards?" For example, a common mistake involves having one sideline for two adjacent soccer fields. Not only do you have bodies crossing into other playing fields, you have misdirected balls flying from one field to the next.
- Understand the problems that can arise when teams are not in their usual, appropriate space. The best example is when outdoor sports move inside because of weather. Balls bounce off walls, lacrosse teams of 30 are on a court built for 10, and bats are being swung. The basketball court sideline, for example, should not be the buffer zone for the field hockey team. Use cones or flat disks to create a boundary line far away from a wall. Another example comes from a colleague who moved his boys' basketball team into the junior high gym because the high school gym was occupied by a girls' game. The backboards in the junior high gym were three feet from the padded wall and the sidelines were two feet away from the unpadded walls. It took two collisions into the wall before practice was canceled.
- Another common problem is when you have a proper buffer area, but you permit an overflowing crowd to sit or stand in that zone. How many times have you seen parents or photographers practically on the field at a game? Secure and define the buffer zone using some form of a barrier. Assign security people to the area if required and maintain the separation between players and spectators. Be able to say no!
Sensible Solutions
Beyond the above major points to consider, there are a host of specific situations that sometimes seem insurmountable. Here are some examples of common buffer zone problems and how to correct them.
You don't have the suggested buffer space. Sometimes, the buffer space suggested simply is not available. In this case, pad the hazard. Pad those areas that offer the biggest problem, and pad them well. A wall mat only a couple of inches wide used to be reasonable. Most levels of today's games require padding that is thick enough to absorb the impact of a player running at full speed. Fold-back bleachers serve as the buffer. Many gyms have bleachers that fold back and permit two side-court games. Generally, the folded bleachers are not padded. However, they can, and should, be covered using portable mats and Velcro strips.
Your basketball coach likes to use several hoops at once. Basketball coaches often use both the side baskets and main court basket for practice at the same time, creating three condensed games that can spill over into each other's space. This can easily create collisions. The best answer is to play only two games. If you can't convince the coach, at least have him or her limit the number of people playing or turn the middle game into an instruction station. In addition, separate all areas with cones.
Not everything can be padded. Often a hazardous area is properly padded, but sections of the pad are removed for air vents, windows, and outlets leaving potential problems. The solution: manufacturers will make mat plugs to fill these "holes" during activity.
There remains an unmovable obstacle. If you practice near a sidewalk, hill, or other possible danger that can't simply be padded up, the whole team needs to be very aware of the danger. Moving the action as far away from the hazard as you can is the first step. If that's not always possible, place players in front of these areas to serve as active barriers. In addition, a very quick
whistle around the area is important.
There remains an unmovable obstacle. If you practice near a sidewalk, hill, or other possible danger that can't simply be padded up, the whole team needs to be very aware of the danger. Moving the action as far away from the hazard as you can is the first step. If that's not always possible, place players in front of these areas to serve as active barriers. In addition, a very quick
whistle around the area is important.
You think you have all your bases covered. You have appropriate space outside the boundary lines, and all obstructions are padded, so now you don't have to give your buffer zones a second thought, right? The reality is that you still need to warn participants about crashing into padded areas. Mats are not fail-safe. People can still be injured—and they need to be forewarned.
Finally, don't forget to educate your coaches. They should be warned not to create a drill or game that makes it probable participants will run into padded walls. In addition, before the start of every season, walk through all practice situations with each coach and ask yourselves, "Do I have appropriate buffer zones?" This will lower the chance of injury to players and lawsuits to coaches and schools.
