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First Aid & Defibrillators

First Aid and Automated External Defibrillators (AED) are important for management of injuries and emergencies in sport clubs.

Defibrillators

Defibrillators have saved the lives of many players, officials and spectators in Australia. When a cardiac arrest occurs and a person is unresponsive and not breathing, an Ambulance is called immediately, CPR commences and continues until either a defibrillator can be used, or an ambulance arrives.  If CPR commences and a defibrillator is used within the first few minutes, the person will have a greater chance of survival. Modern defibrillators are designed to be used by well meaning bystanders and will only deliver a shock if a shock is required.

Club First Aid Officers & Responders

Clubs should have a first aid officer or responder in attendance while games are in progress.  First aiders should be familiar with how to provide basic first aid, perform CPR and use a defibrillator.

Club Defibrillators & Accessories

Concussion

Football Concussion Guidelines

Sport Related Concussion Response

Any player with a suspected Sport Related Concussion (SRC) must be immediately removed from the match or training session.  If a suspected neck injury has occurred, the player should not be moved, and their neck stabilised until assessed by qualified medical personnel for potential spinal injury.

The player must not:

  • take further part in any activity, including training or matches or other sports
    on the day of injury, even if the player reports feeling recovered.
  • be left alone
  • consume alcohol
  • take any pain medication or anti-inflammatories, and
  • should not drive a motor vehicle.

All players with a suspected SRC should be assessed by a medical practitioner with appropriate training in SRC management (e.g., a Sport & Exercise Physician, Neurologist, Sports Doctor) within 3-4 days of the SRC event.

Emergency medical assessment needs to be sought if any of the
following signs or symptoms are observed or develop:
• Worsening headache.
• Repeated vomiting.
• Excessive drowsiness or inability to be awakened.
• Seizures (arms and legs jerk uncontrollably).
• Inability to recognize people or places.
• Any behavioral change, increasing confusion, irritability.
• Slurred speech, double vision.
• Weakness or numbness in arms or legs.
• Unsteadiness on feet.
• Loss of consciousness at the time of injury.

A player with a suspected SRC should have a minimum of 24-48 hours of relative physical and cognitive rest. (ie., minimise physical activity and screen time) before resuming (light) daily living activities.

Current evidence suggests a quicker recovery from SRC with the appropriate resumption of light physical activity. Reference – Australian Institute of Sport Concussion and Brain Health and Position Statement 2024.

Refer to the FA Concussion Guidelines for full information.

Return to Play Program Requirements

Further Information

First Aid

At some point every club will be faced with an injury requiring first aid, planning ahead will go a long way to improving how well your club responds.  It is very easy to become complacent if your club has been relatively incident free but having multiple people at your club capable and trained in first aid will make a difference.

Having multiple people trained at your club in first aid or as Sports Trainers improves the standard of care you can provide to your club members and provides flexibility when people are away, so you are not reliant on just 1-2 people. It also increases your confidence as a club to respond effectively to injuries and medical incidents.  In addition, it can reduce costs, by training your own club members you can reduce the need to pay for external providers.

Injury Reporting

If you have been injured contact your club regarding the process for reporting and recording your injury. Clubs should use an injury report form for recording participant injuries. A record of all injuries should be retained by clubs for insurance reference purposes.

Report form templates for clubs:

The Serious Injury Report form is used to report an injury to the FNSW insurers that results in a participant being admitted to hospital.

When to Call an Ambulance – Triple Zero (000)
In urgent medical situations it is most important that you ring Triple Zero (000) and ask for AMBULANCE. Do not panic or drive to hospital yourself. People driving themselves to hospital in urgent medical situations have often come to grief, not only risking further injury to themselves, but also to everyone else on the road.

Examples of medical emergencies:

  • Sudden collapse
  • Unconsciousness
  • Seizures
  • Chest pain
  • Breathing difficulty
  • Neck or spine injuries
  • Injuries to the head or face
  • Fractured bones
  • Uncontrollable bleeding
  • Motor vehicle/cycle accident

NSW Ambulance Posters & Club Resources

NSW Ambulance paramedics are highly trained health professionals. They bring modern emergency and resuscitation equipment to the patient and commence lifesaving treatment at the scene as well as continuing this on the way to hospital.

Who pays for my ambulance bill?

The injured person is responsible for payment of any ambulance bill relating to their injury. The good news is that ‘ambulance’ is a claimable benefit under the FNSW Personal Injury Insurance and in most cases can be reimbursed once a claim has been lodged and a copy of the receipt from NSW Ambulance is provided. For more information go to Football NSW Insurance All claims and benefits are subject to the FNSW Personal Injury policy terms and conditions.

Mental Health

The physical benefits of playing sport are well known. Exercise can build stronger bones and muscles, help manage your weight, lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, and reduce the risks of heart disease. There are also some huge mental health benefits to participation in sport, including to improve your mood, improve your concentration, reduce stress, improve sleep habits, boost your self-confidence, social benefits, learning the value of teamwork, developing leadership skills, learning how to deal with setbacks, and to build resilience.

Visit our Mental Health & Wellbeing webpage for more information

Heart Health Checks

Players over 35 years of age or returning to the game after a break should visit their GP for a heart health check prior to playing.
Register your Club Defibrillator

Cardiac Arrest

Concussion

In an Emergency Dial Triple Zero (000)

Emergency Planning

First Aid Training

First Aid Kits & Contents

Injury Fact Sheets

Club Posters

First Aid Information & Resources