Safety at training

Coaching guides

A short check for before, during and after every training session.

1. Before the session
2. The pitch: walk it for holes, glass and stones, and check that the posts are padded.
3. First aid: a full kit, ice and water, and someone at the session who knows how to use them.
4. An emergency plan: who calls 112 (or your local emergency number), the club's address, and where an ambulance can get in.
5. The weather: water breaks in the heat and warm kit in the cold; stop at once when there is thunder or lightning.
6. Kit: mouthguards for contact, boots that fit, and no jewellery.
7. During the session
8. Start with a warm-up, every time.
9. Build contact up step by step: walking, then jogging, then full speed.
10. Match players by size and experience as well as by age.
11. Have enough coaches for the group, with a qualified coach at every contact group.
12. Stop a drill when the technique falls apart: tired players get hurt.
13. After the session
14. Cool down.
15. Write down any injury and, for a player under 18, tell the parents the same day.
16. A player who was hurt trains again only when they are ready; for a possible concussion, follow the concussion guide.

• The session editor's Safety and age guidance lists the safety notes of the drills you chose and the guidance for the age group.
• Attendance says only "injured", never what the injury is. Do not write health details in a session's notes.