Ohio Return to Play Law
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Ohio Return to Play Law
Concussion Education
The State of Ohio now has in effect a concussion law, commonly called the "Return to Play" law. Similar to laws enacted in most other states, it is intendedn to protect youth sports participants and imposes training, safety, and awareness requirements on youth sports organizations, like Yellow Springs Youth Baseball, and its coaches, umpires, officials, athletes and their families.
A concussion is a brain injury and all brain injuries are serious. They may be caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head, or by a blow to another part of the body with the force transmitted to the head. They can range from mild to severe and can disrupt the way the brain normally works. Even though most concussions are mild, all concussions are potentially serious and may result in complications including prolonged brain damage and death if not recognized and managed properly.
Because of the significant health concern posed by the risk of concussions, and because of the Return to Play laws enacted by the State of Ohio, Yellow Springs Youth Baseball is instituting the following expectations of its coaches, umpires, officials, and athletes and their families.
Training Requirements
Each individual serving as a coach or umpire, regardless of age, must receive concussion training, and that training must be renewed every three years. (See O.R.C. 3707.511 (C)(1).) We will require, collect and maintain certificates of compliance from all coaches and umpires.
Coaches and Umpires may choose training from either the Center for Disease Control (CDC) or the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). Both programs are free of charge. The NFHS requires a user to login but allows leagues to track an individual's progress and allows users to log in and print their certification should they require a new certificate.
Information For Leagues and Parents/Guardians
YSYBB is responsible to provide a Youth Sports Concussion Information Sheet, supplied by the Ohio Department of Health, to the parent or other guardian of each athlete who wishes to practice for or compete in the league. This information sheet is available here and should be reviewed by all parents/guardians. (See O.R.C. 3707.511 (B)). See the More Information section below for links to additonal information for parents and coaches.
Removal From Play
Ohio’s Return to Play law features three key rules that its leagues, coaches, referees, officials, and athletes and their families must abide by:
Rule One: Coaches, referees, or officials must remove from play an athlete exhibiting the signs and symptoms of a concussion during practice or a game. (See O.R.C. 3707.511 (D)(1).)
Rule Two: The athlete cannot return to play on the same day that he or she is removed after exhibiting symptoms of a concussion. (See O.R.C. 3707.511 (E)(1).)
Rule Three: The athlete is not permitted to return to play until he or she has been assessed by a physician or licensed health care provider approved by the youth sports organization and received written clearance. (See O.R.C. 3707.511 (E)(1).)
Consequences of Failure to Comply with Ohio’s Return to Play Law
If a coach, referee, or official is knowingly not compliant with the Return to Play law, including training requirements and removal from play requirements, he or she could face civil liability (see O.R.C. 3707.511 (F)(1)) should a child become injured due to his failure to follow the law. Additionally, coaches, referees and officials who fail to follow the law may be rendered ineligible to participate in YSYBB events.
More Information
More information about the Return to Play law, training materials, information about the identification, treatment, and prevention of concussions, and the Youth Sports Information Sheet can be found at the Ohio Department of Health concussion website.
