Common Injury Encountered by Officiating Officials

and Athletes
• Sprain- caused by torn fibers in a ligament.
• Heat Exhaustion- is a response to heat characterized by fatigue, weakness and collapse due to
inadequate intake of water to compensate for the loss of fluids during sweating.
• Strains- is a twist, pull or tear of a muscle or a tendon.
• Knee injuries can result from a blow or twist to the knee from improper landing after a jump.
• Fracture is a break in the bone that can occur from either a quick, one-time injury to the bone
(acute fracture), or from repeated stress to the bone over time (stress fracture).
• Dislocations- the joint is described as dislocated.
• Drowning- happens when air cannot get into the lungs because of water.
• Burns- these are often due to domestic incidents such as touching a hot iron or spilling boiling
water on the skin.
• Heatstroke- is a condition in which the blood supply to a part of the brain is suddenly and
seriously impaired by a blood clot or ruptured blood vessel.
• Chocking-an injury in which a certain object is stuck in the throat.
• Heart attack- sudden obstruction of the blood supply to parts of the
heart muscle.
• Food poisoning- exposure or ingestion of toxic substances.

• Home Treatment of strain, sprain, and fractures

• Apply the R.I.C.E.
• Rest the injured part, especially for the first 24 to 48 hours after the
injury – this is the most critical time of treatment. Avoid any activity
that causes pain or makes it worse. Use crutches if the leg, foot or
ankle is injured. Support an injured wrist, arm or shoulder with a sling.
Tape an injured toe or finger to its healthy neighbor.
• Ice is an excellent anti-inflammatory and reduces swelling and pain.
Apply an ice pack or cold compress for 10 to 15 minutes as soon as
possible after an injury. Repeat each hour for the first 3 or 4 hours,
then 4 times a day for the next 2 to 3 days. Protect your skin with a
thin cloth. If ice packs are not available, a packet of frozen vegetables
in a cloth will do.
• Compression also reduces swelling. Use elastic bandages for at least
2 days. Check that the bandage is snug, but not too tight. Take the
bandage off at night.
• Elevation drains fluids from injured tissues. Elevate the injured area
whenever you are sitting or lying down. Try to keep the injured area at
or above the level of the heart.
See a doctor if:
• You suspect a fracture or dislocation or if you are unsure of the severity of a
sprain or strain.
• You cannot straighten the affected joint or bear weight on it, or if a joint feels
unstable.
• The skin over the injury area is broken.
• The limb below the injury feels numb or tingling, or is white, pale or blue in
color, or feels colder compared to the other healthy limb.
• The ligaments of the knee are injured.
• You injured an area that has been injured several times before.
• Pain is severe or lasts longer than 24 hours, or swelling doesn’t subside within
48 hours.
• A sprain or strain doesn’t improve after five to seven days.
• Signs of infection develop.
• Immediate and effective first aid is invaluable in an accident or
medical incident that occurred during a sporting activity. Determining
the exact cause of the injury is the first step in making quick first aid
decisions. Structural abnormalities can also contribute to the
development of od a chronic injury.
• Take these five steps to prevent injuries so you can stay in the game:
• Wear protective gear, such as helmets, protective pads, and other gear.
• Warm up and cool down.
• Know the rules of the game.
• Watch out for others.
• Don't play when you're injured.
Qualities of an Officiating Official:
• The role of an officiating official in any sporting game is
indispensable. They provide leadership and guidance to
athletes and coaches. They also ensure that everybody is
abiding by the rules to warrant the conduct of the competition
in a safe and fair manner. Since the success or failure of the
competition depends on them. It is, therefore, important for
an aspiring officiating official to possess a number of
qualities for him to meet the goal of having a satisfying,
complain-free, impartial, and successful game.
• Physical Qualities
• These qualities refer to the physical attributes of an officiating official. Since an
officiating official needs to catch up with every detail of what the athletes or players
do on the court, he needs to have a high level of fitness to be able to perform his job.
To determine his level of fitness he or she has to consider the following:
• Physical Fitness.
• As has been defined in preceding modules in Physical Education, physical fitness is
the capacity of an individual to perform his or her daily tasks without undue fatigue
and still have extra energy for recreation and emergencies. Physical fitness is not
achieved overnight. One must work on elevating his own level of fitness if he or she
has to perform better in his chosen field of endeavor. Several ways to determine
one’s fitness which are the basis in improving it include:
• a. Body Mass Index
• b. PMHR and THR (Personal Maximal Heart Rate and Training Heart Rate)
• c. Fitness or Exercise Program
• d. Nutrition and weight management
• Emotional Qualities
• These qualities refer to the emotional readiness of an officiating
official to perform his or her role in a game. He or she might have
mastered all the rules and possesses a high level of fitness but if the
emotional attributes don’t warrant him or her to perform the duties and
responsibilities of an officiating official, failure is expected. Emotional
attributes that an officiating official should possess include
confidence. It is having belief in oneself. Confidence can be situation-
specific but practicing it through actual game immersions and
observations of game officiating activities can help improve it.
• Mental Qualities
• Just as physical and emotional qualities are essential, mental
characteristics are also equally necessary. Mental toughness is the term
used to refer to all the qualities pertaining to one’s mental preparations
in officiating a game. To be mentally tough requires one to stay
focused, regulate one’s performance, ability to handle pressure, have
awareness and control of thoughts and feelings, and one’s command
and control of the environment. This can be achieved by having a
thorough knowledge of the rules of the game, alertness, vigilance
which result in timely, decisive, honest, and impartial judgment.
Decisiveness results in the integrity of the result of the game leading
to a satisfying result and acceptance of success and failure for both
competing teams and players.
• Social Qualities
• Social qualities refer to the ability to deal with others
in any given situation. Complaints are inevitable in a
game. It is the ability of an officiating official to settle
disputes without sacrificing the integrity of a game and
the officiating team. Developing such qualities
requires practice just as emotional qualities do.
Surrounding oneself with people who make wise
decisions especially in officiating endeavors might
help one improve his or her decision-making skills.
• Several other factors that make someone a good official include the
knowledge of field mechanics and positioning, communication skills,
good "people" skills, the ability to take criticism, game experience,
and the willingness to learn from others. Moreover, officials need the
following:
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations.
• the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure.
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail.
• the ability to work well with others.
• ambition and a desire to succeed.
• excellent verbal communication skills.
• concentration skills.