USA Rugby Safety Guidelines

USA Rugby is the National Governing Body for the sport of Rugby in the United States. The purpose of this document is to provide safety guidelines for teams and tournaments to ensure player and par1cipant welfare in and around USA Rugby sanc1oned events.

Registration & Eligibility

1. All par1cipants in any game, tournament or event must be ac1vely registered with USA Rugby at the 1me of play. USA Rugby will work with the tournament organizer to ensure that all coaches and players are ac1vely registered prior to the event. The tournament organizers will be responsible for ensuring only properly registered players par1cipate on the day(s) of the event.

2. Teams must comply with USA Rugby Eligibility Rules: usa.rugby/eligibility

3. All coaches and administrators must be registered, and complete requirements of coach cer1fica1on associated with the team they are coaching, including background checks and current SafeSport accreditation.

4. USA Rugby may request a list of match day rosters after the event date to verify compliance.

5. All games must be officiated by a registered and Level 1 certified referee. Field Requirements *Does not apply to beach or social events with modified rules

1. At least 4 meters of space, that is clear and free from any obstacles such as fencing, stadium walls, concrete surfaces, or anything that would be dangerous for a player to run into or onto, is required to surround the en1re playing area.

2. Field must comply with World Rugby Law 1 – The Ground. For full information on World Rugby field requirements please visit: https://www.world.rugby/the-game/laws/law/1

3. Field must use proper technical zone set up and management

4. be padded. All field flags must be break away.

5. Playing surface should be grass or World Rugby Regula1on 22 certified turf (hWps://www.world.rugby/news/572286).

6. Fields are required to be free of debris such as glass, protrusions, divots, etc.

Medical & Safety

1. Tournaments and events must have the appropriate medical coverage for anticipated tournament size, level of play and participant numbers. Appropriate medical coverage includes, but is not limited to, a medical professional such as a doctor, paramedic or certified athletic trainer (ATC), a medical area with emergency supplies and ice, and access to an ambulance and hospital (as outlined in the Emergency Action Plan). USA Rugby recommends an on-site ambulance for any event hos1ng six or more teams. See Appendix A for full medical guidelines.

2. All events must include an Emergency Action Plan. See Appendix B for sample plan.

3. Please see Appendix C for lightning policy.

4. Player Welfare policies may be found at https://playerwelfare.worldrugby.org/. Please refer to the section “Guidelines” for more information on how to handle specific injuries.

Alcohol

1. Sale of alcohol at sanctioned events is not covered by USA Rugby insurance and liquor liability coverage shall be obtained elsewhere prior to receiving sanction approval. Event Organizer shall notify USA Rugby if alcohol shall be sold or distributed at the Event and shall be solely responsible for compliance with any and all applicable laws and shall be solely responsible for obtaining any liquor licenses and/or permits. Alcohol sales are prohibited at any youth and high school events. Team Requirements

2. Participating teams agree to follow the World Rugby Code of Conduct (see Appendix D). It is the coach's responsibility to ensure that his/her coaches, managers, staff and players have read and understand their obliga1ons under the code.

3. No unregistered player, coach, referee or volunteer may be permitted to play or participate at any level.

Sideline Conduct

1. Any spectator or participant entering the field in a menacing manner will be subject to sanction by the referee. This may include a complete ban on partcipation in any aspect of rugby. Event Organizers not talking steps to enforce such a ban are subject to sanction.

Referee Abandonment of Match

1. The referee will commence the match only if all safety guidelines are met, and may abandon the match if any of these guidelines are breached.

2. The referee will abandon the match if any match official (referee, touch judge or other assigned official) is threatened verbally or physically.

3. Before abandoning a match, the referee will meet with the team captains to explain why this action is being taken.

4. A team is responsible for the abandonment and will be liable for all match fees.

Appendix A

USA RUGBY GUIDELINES FOR MEDICAL ACCOMODATIONS

The following is a recommended list of accommodations for all USA Rugby sanctioned events. Event hosts are encouraged to provide additional equipment, personnel, and/or procedures in addition to those listed.

1. Medical Area* a. 10 x 10 Medical Tent b. Two (2) Medical/Treatment Tables(6 or 8 O. long) c. Four (4) Chairs d. 12.5lbs of ice per team per day e. Constantsupply of water f. Water and ice coolers *Certain events may need mul1ple medical areas depending on the total number of participants on location. 2. Ambulance and Paramedics a. An ambulance with either an EMT and Paramedic or two Paramedics must be on---site and dedicated to the venue beginning one hour before the first kick--- off and a half hour after the last match. 3. Staff Available at Events a. Medical Coordinator/Director i. Thisindividual isthe main staff person who isresponsible for coordinating the medical needs of the event. b. Medical Doctor/Physician i. A dedicated Medical Doctor must be on---site at the field beginning one hour before the first kick---off and half hour after the last match. c. Athle1c Trainers i. A minimum of one dedicated Cer1fied Athletic Trainer (ATC) perac1ve field is required. These personnel must be on site at the field beginning one hour before the first kick---off and a half hour after the last match. ii. Itshould be noted that an increase in field numbersshould result in an increase of Paramedics/EMTs. 4. Medicalstaff should have cell numbersfor otherstaff in order to communicate with each other effec1vely and confiden1ally. 5. Adopted World Rugby Match Medical Rules for Hand Signals for all event and medical personnel. Signals can be found here: https://www.world.rugby/the- game/laws/signals/ other 6. Emergency Action Plan for all match and training venues on file. See Appendix B for a sample Emergency Action Plan. 7. Injury Report Forms: These are standardized formsto be returned to USA Rugby for record keeping, research, and review. Appendix B EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN SAMPLE MEDICAL DIRECTOR First Name: Last Name: Mobile Phone: ( ) Occupa1on AMBULANCE PERSONNEL Name: Mobile Phone: Company Name: ( ) Company Phone: ( ) CERTIFIED ATHLETIC TRAINER (ATC) Name Mobile Phone: ( ) Company: PREFERRED HOSPITAL Facility Name: Emergency Department Phone: ( ) Location: Driving directions from venue: MEDICAL PLAN (Example) There will be one (1) ambulance at the facility from (start time) to the end of all matches. There will be one EMT accompanying the ambulance with radio band contact. In addi1on, there will be (x number)trainers, (x number) for each field that will arrive no later than (TBD time) in order to tape and prepare the players for the first game. Ice, water, chairs, tables will be provided at the medical tent. Teamsshould provide their own supplies. Trainers should be there for treatment not necessarily preven1on. In case of an injury the procedure will be: If injury occurs during warmups or outside of a schedule game the athlete should report to the medical tent for assistance. If the injury occurs during a match the first medical staff to the scene will conduct a primary assessment. If the injury is notseriousthe medicalstaff will bring the athlete to the sideline to conduct a secondary assessment. If the injury isseriousthe Tournament Doctor will be no1fied together, the Tournament Doctor and EMT will inspect the athlete and determine if the ambulance is needed for transport to the hospital. The medical director will assist in organizing hospital transport for the athlete by private vehicle (with family or friend) if an ambulance ride is declined. All major treatment of injuries will be recorded in a medical report by the medical staff that administered treatment. The medical director will collect the reports at the end of each day of competition. If there is a dispute over the medical care of an athlete this must be brought to the aWen1on of the medical director and the incident will be recorded in wri1ng. Situa1onssuch asthis will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Note: Emergency Action Plan needsto include a Chain of Command for determining who will make the ambulance call or return to play/concussion evaluation. Appendix C USA RUGBY SEVERE WEATHER AND LIGHTNING POLICY *Venue Specific Policies may over---ride these recommendations In an attemptto educate the public about dangersrela1ng to sever weatherthe Na1onal Weather Service has established a mul1-level awareness plan. Level 1 – If you are planning outdoors ac1vi1es, obtain the weather forecast beforehand. Know your local weather patterns. Level 2 – If you are planning to be outdoors, iden1fy and stay within traveling range of a proper shelter. Employ the “30-30 Rule” to know when to seek a safer loca1on. The “30-30 Rule” states that when you see lightning, count the 1me un1l you hear thunder. If this 1me is 30 seconds or less, go immediately to a safer place. If you can’t see the lightning, just hearing the thunder means lightning is likely within striking range. After the storm has apparently dissipated or moved on, wait 30 minutes or more after hearing the last thunder before leaving the safer loca1on. Level 3 – When lightning strikes, go to a safer loca1on. Do not hesitate. The safest place commonly available during a lightning storm is a large, fully enclosed substan1ally constructed building. Substan1al construc1on also implies the building has wiring and plumbing, which can conduct lightning current safely to ground. Once inside,stay away from corded telephones, electrical appliances, ligh1ng fixture, microphones, electric sockets and plumbing. Inner rooms are generally preferable from a safety viewpoint. If you can’t reach a substantial building, an enclosed vehicle with a sold metal roof and metal sides is a reasonable second choice. Close the windows, lean away from the door, put your hands in your lap and don’t touch the steering wheel, ignition, gear shier or radio. Conver1bles, cars with fiberglass or plas1cshells, and open framed vehicles are not suitable lightning shelters. Level 4 – If you cannot flee to a safer location, take ac1on to minimize the threat of being stuck. Proceed from higher to lower eleva1ons. Avoid wide-open areas, including sports fields. Avoid tall, isolated objects like trees, poles, and light posts. Do not consider unprotected open structuressuch as picnic pavilions, rain shelters and bus stops. Avoid contact with metal fences, metal bleachers, or other metal structures. Level 5 – If circumstances or a series of bad decisions have found you outside of a shelter, far removed from a safer place when lightning is occurring, there are still measures to be taken. Put your feet together, squat down, tuck your head, and cover your ears. When the immediate threat of lightning has passed, con1nue heading to the safest place possible. Level 6 – If the worst happens, there are key Lightning First Aid guidelines. First, if at all possible, call “9-1-1” immediately. Since all deaths from lightning strikes result from cardiac arrest and/or stopped breathing, begin treatment as soon as possible. CPR or mouth-to-mouth resuscitation is the recommended first aid, respec1vely. The threat of injury due to a lightning strike is very prevalent. We unfortunately cannot control the weather, however can decrease the possibility of injury through educa1on and proper precau1ons. By understanding and utilizing the five levels iden1fied in the Na1onal Weather Service plan we can be assured that our teams are safe at all USA Rugby events. Lightning Safety Education Resources: Na1onal Weather Service www.LightningSafety.noaa.gov National Lightning Safety Institute www.LightningSafety.com/index.html Appendix D RUGBY CODE OF CONDUCT All Unions, Associations, Rugby Bodies, Clubs and Persons: 1. must ensure thatthe Game is played and conducted in accordance with disciplined and sporting behavior and acknowledge that it is not sufficient to rely solely upon the Match Officials to maintain those principles; 2. shall co---operate in ensuring that the spirit of the Laws of the Game are upheld and refrain from selec1ng players guilty of foul play; 3. shall not repeatedly breach the Laws of the Game; 4. shall accept and observe the authority and decisions ofreferees,touch judges, Match Officials and all other rugby disciplinary bodies, subject to Regula1on 17; 5. 5 shall not publish or cause to be published cri1cism of the manner in which a referee or touch judge handled a Match; 6. shall not publish or cause to be published cri1cism of the manner in which Council or any other rugby disciplinary body handled or resolved any dispute or disciplinary matter resulting from a breach of the Bye---Laws, Regulations, or Laws of the Game; 7. shall not engage in any conduct or any activity on or off the field that may impair public confidence in the honest and orderly conduct of a Match, tour, tournament or Series of Matches (including, but not limited to, the supply of information in relation to the Game, directly or indirectly, to bookmakers or to persons who may use such informa1on to their advantage) or in the integrity and good character of any Person; 8. shall not commit a breach of Regulation 6 (Wagering); 9. shall promote the reputa1on of the Game and take all possible stepsto prevent it from being brought into disrepute; 10. shall not commit an anti---doping rule violation as defined in Regulation 21; 11. shall not abuse, threaten or intimidate a referee, touch judge or other Match Official, whether on or off the field of play; 12. shall not use crude or abusive language or gestures towards referees, touch judges or other Match Officials or spectators; 13. shall not do anything which is likely to intimidate, offend, insult, humiliate or discriminate against any other Person on the ground of their religion, race, sex, sexual orientation, color or national or ethnic origin; 14. shall not do anything which adversely affectsthe Game of Rugby Football, the Board, any member Union or Association or any commercial partner of the Game. Each Union and Associa1on is under an obligation to comply with and to ensure that each of its members comply with this Code of Conduct and adopt procedures to monitor compliance with and impose sanctions for breaches of the Code of Conduct by Persons under its jurisdiction.