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* 1. Name / Role

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* 2. The Head Contact Process (HCP) is intended to decrease player head-injury risk, and to clarify and make consistent match official decision-making. With the purpose and philosophy of player welfare in mind, do you believe that:

The HCP is identifying the behaviours that create risk of head impacts and injuries, and that we’re trying to change?

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* 3. If No, what is the HCP doing that it shouldn’t, and what isn’t it doing that it should?

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* 4. If yes, does the HCP contain all the necessary elements within it to change behaviour to reduce head impact and injury risk through coaching, conditioning and play?

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* 5. With the purpose of clarifying and making consistent match official decision-making and sanction in mind, do you believe that the HCP provides match officials with the necessary and sufficient tools to make accurate, consistent decisions?

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* 6. If yes, what elements are particularly useful and necessary for match officials?

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* 7. If no, what elements are currently absent from the process that should be included, and what elements are included that should be removed and are possibly negatively affecting the match officials?

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* 8. Aims of the Head Contact Process

The process is designed to protect the head, neck and throat area of players.

The process can be applied to:
• High tackles
• Shoulder charges
• Dangerous cleanouts
• Head-to-head collisions
• Leading elbow / forearm

The Head Contact Process is a Law Application Guideline. Under 9.11, the referee is always entitled to issue a red or yellow card for anything deemed to be reckless or dangerous. However, this process is intended to aid consistency in the application of sanctions by providing guidance on how contact with the head should be approached by match officials and disciplinary personnel.

So...What works well?

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* 9. What isn't working?

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* 10. What are the possible solutions to improve the HCP?

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* 11. Has head contact occurred? (Head contact includes neck and throat area)

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* 12. Was there foul play?

Considerations:
• Intentional
• Reckless
• Avoidable – e.g. the defender is always upright

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* 13. What was the degree of danger?
Considerations include:
• Direct vs indirect contact
• High force vs low force
• Dynamic

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* 14. Is there any mitigation?
Considerations include:
• Line of sight
• Sudden and significant drop or movement
• Clear attempt to reduce height
• Level of control
• Passive tackler

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* 15. Trigger words

Play on
No fault
• Sudden and significant drop in height by the ball carrier
• Player had no time to readjust
• Involuntary collision
• No leading arm when close to the body

PK YC
Low danger
• Indirect contact
• Low force
• Low speed
• No leading head / shoulder / forearm / swinging arm

RC
High danger
• Direct contact
• Lack of control
• High speed
• Dynamic
• Leading head / shoulder / elbow / forearm
• Swinging arm
• Reckless
• Intentional or an always-illegal act of foul playQuestion Title

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* 16. How often do you think the HCP arrives at the decision it should?

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* 17. As we look forward to the shape of the game conference, are there any areas of the game or laws that can be made safer to avoid head contacts? If yes please can you provide suggestions below

T