INJURY RESEARCH

Web-based injury data system available to athletic trainers

Athletic trainers have been invited to participate in the 2005-06 NCAA Injury Surveillance System (ISS), a Web-based initiative for all sports for which the NCAA sponsors a championship.

Though the ISS involves a slight time and resource commitment, the service provided at no cost to institutions allows athletic trainers to record both athletics and non-athletics injuries and illnesses, customize self-generating individual player end-of-season injury reports and establish treatment logs, among other options.

The NCAA staff provides ISS data to the appropriate sports rules committees and the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports for annual review to assist in health and safety rules-making and policy development. The information also is helpful for individual schools and conferences in making administrative decisions and monitoring injury trends. ISS data is available for research projects as well.

The system requires a high-speed Internet connection and works best using minimal browser versions Internet Explorer 5.5, Netscape 6.0 or Mozilla. Last year, more than 200 NCAA institutions participated in the ISS. For more information about the ISS, see www.ncaa.org/iss.

Staff contact: Randy Dick (rdick@ncaa.org).

LEGAL AFFAIRS

Alabama judge releases NCAA from all claims by two coaches

All claims by two former University of Alabama assistant football coaches against the NCAA and its representatives were dismissed by a judge before the conclusion of a jury trial in a state Circuit Court in Tuscaloosa, Alabama -- including a claim of libel and slander by one of the coaches that was heard by a jury before Judge Steve Wilson directed a verdict July 14 releasing the Association from the trial.

_{Other claims of conspiracy, negligence, invasion of privacy, and wantonness were dismissed July 7 in response to a pretrial motion for summary judgement, after the judge ruled that one of the plaintiffs was a limited public figure and therefore required to prove actual malice by the NCAA.}

_{The judge directed the verdict in favor of the NCAA in the remaining claim after determining the other coach also was a limited public figure, based on evidence presented during the trial.}

_{Jurors returned a verdict against a remaining defendant in the trial -- an individual who had provided information confidentially to the NCAA enforcement staff -- on the basis of statements allegedly made by that individual outside the NCAA's investigation of the Alabama football program. The jury awarded compensatory and punitive damages totaling $30 million to one of the two coaches.}

Staff contact: Elsa Cole (ecole@ncaa.org).

CLEARINGHOUSE

NCAA Eligibility Clearinghouse fee increases to cover costs

Effective August 1, the NCAA Clearinghouse registration fee increased to $50 for domestic registrants and $75 for international registrants.

The increase is attributable to inflation and increased technology costs, as well as increased scrutiny of registrants' amateurism status.

Registrants who qualify retain the opportunity to receive a waiver of the registration fee.

Staff contact: Bill Saum (bsaum@ncaa.org) or Ellen Ferris (eferris@ncaa.org).

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