Lifeguard Rules, First Aid & Sports Dynamics
Lifeguard’s Decalogue
- Be calm but act quickly to evaluate the situation.
- Analyze which people need help most urgently.
- Keep the injured person lying on their back.
- Handle the wounded person with great caution and avoid changing their position.
- Carefully examine the injured person to identify the most critical injuries.
- Keep the person warm and attend to any wounds.
- Never give liquids to an unconscious person.
- Reassure the injured person.
- Evacuate the wounded to a hospital in a horizontal position as quickly as possible.
Common Injuries: Symptoms & Actions
Injury (General Trauma)
Symptoms: Possible crushing sound, potential loss of consciousness, possible blood loss, possible seizures.
Action: Open their mouth and remove any objects causing asphyxia. Loosen clothing. Do not give liquids. Transfer to a hospital. Perform artificial respiration if necessary.
Nosebleed
Symptoms: Blood loss from nostrils.
Action: Keep the head tilted slightly forward (not back). Pinch the soft part of the nose firmly for 10-15 minutes. Apply a cold compress to the bridge of the nose.
Fainting
Symptoms: Instability and paleness, cold sweat, increased respiratory and heart rate, temporary loss of consciousness.
Action: Lay the person flat and elevate their legs. Loosen tight clothing. Ensure fresh air. Apply a cool compress to the forehead. If consciousness is not regained quickly, seek medical help.
Epilepsy (Seizure)
Symptoms: Loss of consciousness, fall, muscle spasms, convulsions, disoriented eyes.
Action: Protect the person from injury by clearing the area around them. Do not restrain them or put anything in their mouth. Cushion their head. After the seizure stops, place them in the recovery position. Stay with them and offer reassurance. Seek medical attention if it’s their first seizure, it lasts longer than 5 minutes, another seizure follows quickly, or they are injured.
Asthmatic Crisis
Symptoms: Difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing, tightness in the chest.
Action: Help the person sit upright. Assist them with their prescribed bronchodilator inhaler (puffer). Encourage slow, calm breathing. If symptoms do not improve or worsen, seek urgent medical attention.
Sports Classification
Individual Sports
Without Opposition or Collaboration
- Swimming
- Shooting
- Sailing (solo)
- Skiing
With Opposition, Without Collaboration
- Judo
- Tennis
- Table Tennis (Ping-Pong)
Team Sports
Without Direct Opposition, With Collaboration
- Sailing (team)
- Rowing (team)
- Synchronized Swimming
With Opposition and Collaboration
- Soccer
- Indoor Soccer
- Basketball
Definitions of Sport Types
Without Opposition or Collaboration
Sports where no one directly opposes or collaborates with the athlete during their performance.
Without Direct Opposition, With Collaboration
Sports requiring joint and coordinated team participation where there is no direct physical opposition from an adversary during the primary action (e.g., teams may race against each other but not directly interfere with performance).
With Opposition, Without Collaboration
Sports that establish a direct confrontation with an opponent with the intention of winning, where the athlete performs without direct collaboration from teammates during the confrontation.
With Opposition and Collaboration
Sports where the coordination and collaboration of athletes on the same team are essential to effectively oppose the contrary team.
Game Phases: Direct Opposition & Collaboration Sports
The game in these sports is often a repetition of a cycle consisting of four key stages:
- Defense: Actions taken to prevent the opposing team from scoring and to regain possession.
- Counter-attack: A rapid offensive move initiated immediately after gaining possession, aiming to surprise the opponent and score.
- Attack: Organized and developed offensive strategies and systems to create scoring opportunities and score.
- Transition to Defense (Folding/Falling Back): Rapid relocation and reorganization of the team into defensive positions to counter an opponent’s attack or counter-attack.
Principles: Direct Opposition & Collaboration Sports
Phase Objectives & Technical Actions
Defense
- Objective: Retrieve the ball or stop the opponent’s progress.
Technical Actions: Apply pressure, tackle, dispossess the opponent, intercept. - Objective: Prevent the opponent’s attack progression and scoring opportunities.
Technical Actions: Occupy defensive spaces, maintain formation, deny passing lanes, mark opponents. - Objective: Protect the goal or scoring area.
Technical Actions: Intercept passes, block shots, make saves.
Attack
- Objective: Maintain possession of the ball.
Technical Actions: Accurate passing (e.g., ground passes), ball control, shielding the ball. - Objective: Advance the ball towards the opponent’s goal or scoring area.
Technical Actions: Dribbling, running with the ball, creating movement off the ball, combination plays. - Objective: Score.
Technical Actions: Shooting, heading, creating clear scoring chances, effective positioning near the goal.