Incident & Safety Protocol

What to do when something goes wrong during class.

This covers injuries, interpersonal conflicts, safety concerns, and medical emergencies. Read this before you coach your first class. When something happens, you won’t have time to look it up.

Types of Incidents

Minor injury: Bumps, bruises, minor sprains, bloody noses, mat burn. The student can continue after a brief pause, or chooses to sit out the rest of class.

Significant injury: Anything involving a pop, snap, or audible sound from a joint. Anything where the student can’t bear weight or move the affected area. Anything involving the head, neck, or spine. Anything that might need medical attention.

Medical emergency: Loss of consciousness, seizure, difficulty breathing, suspected concussion, severe bleeding, allergic reaction, cardiac event.

Interpersonal conflict: A student going too hard and refusing to adjust. Verbal aggression. Physical escalation beyond normal training intensity. Inappropriate behavior.

Safety concern: A pattern you’ve noticed that hasn’t caused an incident yet but could. A student who consistently goes too hard. Equipment issues. Mat gaps or hazards.

Minor Injury

Check on the student. Ask what happened and where it hurts.
Let them decide whether to continue or sit out. Don’t pressure them either way.
If they sit out, check on them again before class ends.
Ice packs are in the freezer in the office. Offer one.
No documentation needed unless it’s a recurring issue with the same student.

Significant Injury

Stop the round for the affected pair immediately. You don’t need to stop the whole class unless the situation requires everyone’s attention.
Do not move the student if there’s any concern about the head, neck, or spine.
Assess: Can they move the affected area? Can they bear weight? Is there visible deformity or swelling?
If in doubt, recommend they see a doctor. Don’t diagnose or minimize.
Get them ice and help them off the mats if they can move safely.
Document the incident after class (see Documentation below).
Text the head coach with what happened, even if it seems handled.

Medical Emergency

Call 911. Give the gym address. Say what happened clearly.
Stop class. Tell everyone to clear the mats and give space.
Stay with the person. Keep them still. If unconscious, check for breathing.
If they went unconscious from a choke: They will usually wake up within 10 to 15 seconds. Keep them lying flat, legs slightly elevated. Do not shake them or pour water on them. If they don’t wake up within 30 seconds, call 911.
AED and first aid kit locations are posted by the office door.
Designate someone to meet the ambulance at the door and guide them in.
Call the head coach immediately after 911.
Document everything (see Documentation below).

Interpersonal Conflict

Someone going too hard

Address them directly during the round. Use the cues from the Coaches Guide: “Hey, quit trying to win practice” or “dial it back, you’re going too hard for this room.”
If they don’t adjust, pull them aside at the next break. Be direct: “You need to bring the intensity down. If you can’t do that, you need to sit this one out.”
If it continues, they’re done for the day. “I appreciate you being here, but I need you to sit the rest of this class out. Let’s chat after.”
Text the head coach.

Verbal aggression or physical escalation

Stop the round immediately.
Separate the students.
Address the aggressor directly: “That’s not acceptable here. You’re done for today.”
Check on the other student.
Call the head coach immediately. This is not something you handle alone.

Inappropriate behavior

This includes sexual comments, harassment, or boundary violations.

If it’s happening in the moment, interrupt it. “Hey, that’s not how we talk here.”
Pull the person aside privately after the round. Be direct about what you saw and why it’s not acceptable.
Check in with the affected person. Ask if they’re okay. Let them know the door is always open.
Text the head coach with what happened.

Kids-Specific Incidents

For behavioral issues in kids classes (hitting, escalation, meltdowns), see the Behavior & Boundaries section of Coaching Kids Classes. That page covers the full protocol for addressing bad behavior with kids, including athletic punishments and how to communicate with parents after class.

Additional notes for kids incidents:

Always inform the parent. After any injury to a child, no matter how minor, tell the parent what happened before they leave. A quick “Marcus bumped heads with his partner during a scramble, we iced it, he’s fine” prevents a surprised parent finding a bruise at home.
If a child is injured and the parent isn’t present: Call the parent immediately for anything beyond a minor bump. Don’t wait until pickup.
Document kids incidents more conservatively. Document anything you’d want a record of if a parent called the next day with concerns.

When to Stop Class

Stop the entire class for:

Any medical emergency
A physical altercation
An injury where the student can’t get off the mats on their own

Don’t stop the entire class for:

A minor injury where one pair stops and the student sits out
A conflict that can be handled with one student at the next break
A safety concern you’ve noticed but that hasn’t caused an incident

When you stop class, keep it brief. “Hey everyone, hold up for a minute.” Handle the situation, then restart. Don’t over-explain what happened. If students ask, a simple “they’re okay, just taking a break” is enough.

Documentation

Document any significant injury, medical emergency, or interpersonal conflict. Minor bumps and bruises don’t need documentation unless there’s a pattern.

What to record:

Date and time
Who was involved (names)
What happened (factual description, not interpretation)
What you did in response
Whether medical attention was recommended or sought
Any follow-up needed

Follow-Up

After a significant injury:

Check on the student within 24 hours. A text is fine: “Hey, how’s the [area] feeling? Hope you’re doing okay.”
If they saw a doctor, ask what the diagnosis was so we can adjust their training when they return.
When they come back, check in before class. Ask how they’re feeling and if there’s anything they need to avoid.

After an interpersonal conflict:

The head coach handles follow-up conversations with anyone who was asked to leave or whose behavior was concerning.
If you pulled someone aside during class, let the head coach know what was said so they have context.

After a pattern or safety concern:

Bring it up with the head coach directly. “I’ve noticed [student] has been going too hard in the last three classes” or “the mat gap near the wall is getting worse.”
Don’t wait for an incident to report a pattern.

Emergency Contacts and Resources

Resource	Contact
Emergency services	911
Head coach	[phone number]
Nearest urgent care	[name and address]
Nearest ER	[name and address]

Quiz

What are the five types of incidents described in this document?

A student goes down hard during a scramble and is holding their knee. They say they heard a pop. Walk through what you do, step by step.

A student loses consciousness from a choke. What do you do in the first 30 seconds? At what point do you call 911?

A visiting student is going too hard and hasn’t responded to your first verbal cue. What’s the escalation sequence?

A kid bumps heads with their partner during a game. It’s minor. Do you need to tell the parent? Do you need to document it?

Where are the AED and first aid kit located? What’s the head coach’s phone number?