rected to emergency services if the dial 911 instead of 111. Other countries will need to check their own emergency numbers, as they may well be different to these.
             Other areas often overlooked are the emergency plan flow sheet. In doing this the team management should sit down and cover the "what ifs" and identify a simple but effective flowchart of actions to be taken. Not every exact emergency or injury needs to be covered as all of these can be catered for if and when the emergency occurs. Within this flowchart should be identified what medical equipment can be carried with the team and who is responsible for it. Remember to cater for all emergencies within the qualifications and training that the team management have and also identify who is responsible for carrying the equipment and maintaining it.
             If the team is travelling overseas, remember to ascertain where the team is travelling to, who is readily available to obtain the local knowledge and what emergency facilities are available near where the team is training or playing.
             Before the game: This can be broken up into three distinct areas that may need to be reviewed. These are Personnel, Equipment and Communications.
             · Personnel. The person on the Management team who has the sports medicine training should ideally form the core of the medical care. They should have the appropriate training, be up to date with this training and current in their qualifications. This can range from the team doctor for National, Representative, local or professional teams through to the team medic trainer who has undergone formal training within this area. These people are invaluable when and if an emergency does occur.
             · Equipment. This is purely up to the individual who is responsible for the team's medical care. What some people would use at the side line of a game, and in the changing rooms would not be appropriate for others, especially i...