Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC 2.7. — ARTICLE 2.7. California Youth Football Act [124240. - 124243.] | Health and Safety Code - HSC — California

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 124240. Section 124240.

(a) This article shall be known, and may be cited, as the California Youth Football Act. (b) As used in this article: (1) “Coach” means a person appointed by a youth sports organization to supervise or instruct a participant in the sport of youth tackle football. (2) “Full-contact portion” of practice is defined as the period of time in drills or live action that involves contact at game speed. (3) “Full-contact practice” means a session where one or more drills or live action is conducted that involves contact at game speed, as in an actual tackle football game or scrimmage. This includes simulations or drills that involve any number of players. (4) “Heat-related illness” includes, but is not necessarily limited to, heat cramps, heat syncope, heat exhaustion, and exertional heat stroke. (5) “Off-season” means a period extending from the end of the regular season until 30 days before the commencement of the next regular season. (6) “Play” includes participation in a youth tackle football game, scrimmage, or practice. (7) “Preseason” means a period of 30 days before the commencement of the regular season. (8) “Regular season” means the period from the first league football game or scrimmage until the completion of the final football game of that season. (9) “Safety equipment” includes, but is not necessarily limited to, all of the following: (A) A helmet and its associated parts, including, but not necessarily limited to, a face mask and mouthguard. (B) Hip, knee, and shoulder pads. (C) A jersey. (D) A tailbone protector. (E) Pants and thigh guards. (F) Shoes, including cleats. (10) “Youth sports organization” means an organization, business, or nonprofit entity that sponsors or conducts amateur sports competition, training, camps, clinics, practices, or clubs. (11) “Youth tackle football league” means the organization that groups together youth sports organizations that conduct youth tackle football, administers rules, and sets game schedules. It may or may not be associated with a national organization.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 124241. Section 124241.

On and after January 1, 2021, a youth sports organization that conducts a tackle football program shall comply with all of the following requirements: (a) A tackle football team shall not conduct more than two full-contact practices per week during the preseason and regular season. (b) A tackle football team shall not hold a full-contact practice during the off-season. (c) The full-contact portion of a practice shall not exceed 30 minutes in any single day. (d) A coach shall annually receive a tackling and blocking certification from a nationally recognized program that emphasizes shoulder tackling, safe contact and blocking drills, and techniques designed to minimize the risk during contact by removing the involvement of youth tackle football participant’s head from all tackling and blocking techniques. (e) Each youth tackle football administrator, coach, and referee shall annually complete all of the following: (1) The concussion and head injury education pursuant to Section 124235. (2) The Opioid Factsheet for Patients pursuant to Section 124236. (3) Training in the basic understanding of the signs, symptoms, and appropriate responses to heat-related illness. (f) Each parent or guardian of a youth tackle football participant shall receive concussion and head injury information for that athlete pursuant to Section 124235 and the Opioid Factsheet for Patients pursuant to Section 124236. (g) Each football helmet shall be reconditioned and recertified every other year, unless stated otherwise by the manufacturer. Only entities licensed by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment shall perform the reconditioning and recertification. Every reconditioned and recertified helmet shall display a clearly recognizable mark or notice in the helmet indicating the month and year of the last certification. (h) A minimum of one certified emergency medical technician, state-licensed paramedic, or higher-level licensed medical professional shall be present during all preseason, regular season, and postseason games. The certified emergency medical technician, state-licensed paramedic, or higher-level licensed medical professional shall have the authority to provide prehospital emergency medical care or rescue services consistent with their certification or license, and remove any youth tackle football participant from the game who exhibits an injury, including, but not necessarily limited to, symptoms of a concussion or other head injury. (i) A coach shall annually receive first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and automated external defibrillator certification. (j) At least one independent nonrostered individual, appointed by the youth sports organization, shall be present at all practice locations. The individual shall hold current and active certification in first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, automated external defibrillator, and concussion protocols. The individual shall have the authority to evaluate and remove any youth tackle football participant from practice who exhibits an injury, including, but not limited to, symptoms of a concussion or other head injury. (k) Safety equipment shall be inspected before every full-contact practice or game to ensure that all youth tackle football participants are properly equipped. (l) Each youth tackle football participant removed pursuant to this section shall comply with Section 124235. The injury shall be reported to the youth tackle football league. (m) Each youth tackle football participant shall complete a minimum of 10 hours of noncontact practice at the beginning of each season for the purpose of conditioning, acclimating to safety equipment, and progressing to the introduction of full-contact practice. During this noncontact practice, the youth tackle football participants shall not wear any pads, and shall only wear helmets if required to do so by the coaches. (n) A youth sports organization shall annually provide a declaration to its youth tackle football league stating that it is in compliance with this article, and shall either post the declaration on its internet website or provide the declaration to all youth tackle football participants within its youth sports organization.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 124242. Section 124242.

On and after January 1, 2021, a youth tackle football league shall comply with both of the following: (a) Establish youth tackle football participant divisions that are organized by relative age or weight or by both age and weight. (b) Retain information from which the names of individuals shall not be identified for the tracking of youth sports injuries. This information shall include the type of injury, the medical treatment received by the youth tackle football participant, and return to play protocols followed by the participant pursuant to subdivision (l) of Section 124241.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 124243. Section 124243.

Nothing in this article shall prohibit any youth sports organization or youth tackle football league from adopting and enforcing rules intended to provide a higher standard of safety for youth tackle football participants than the requirements established under this article.