sports photog got injured.HS football.

There are some debates going on here lately about HS football shooting and whether to have an insurance or not, or who is allowed on the sidelines and who is not, etc.

So today I was at the game (I'm a parent). Marlboro vs Middletown South, New Jersey. Most of the times there are no Pro photographers at these games, but today there were two. One of them was this guy with the nice Canon gear.

Somewhere in the 2nd quarter he was rammed by a quarterback and the collision was very hard. The photographer was taken away by the ambulance. I was told later that he broke his knee.
Not to mention that his nice lens most likely got damaged.
After that the Administration ordered everybody , including the other Pro photog, to get off the sidelines to the track.

So let's wish this guy a speedy recovery and hope he has an insurance.

This is a couple of pics that I grabbed from across the field with my GH1

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It is a dangerous place to say the least. This week is the first time that I got hit. I was 5 yrds behind the line of scrimmage and the quarter back got flushed out of the pocket. I snapped until he filled the frame then turned and shot the receiver down field.

I guess the defensive end had given him a good shove at the end of the play and he just hit my left side but got a pretty good whack to my left kidney. It is still a little sore but I feel very lucky I didn't get a direct hit as I never saw it coming.

Sad thing is it is going to take some serious accident before the schools start watching who is on the side line.

Ouch.

Yeah, similar experience Friday night for me, although I came out without being hit. I was shooting HS football, about 3 yards off the sideline, 10 yards down field, and the opposing team ran a sweep my way. I kept shooting until the running back filled my viewfinder, tucked the camera in tight and got into a defensive position ready to jump left or right. The back saw me and swept by about two feet to my right. Luckily the defensive players didn't follow him that far outside or it would have been a very crowded place in a nanosecond.

Just a reminder for me to keep back from the sidelines and more aware of my surroundings at all times. I'm not a pro, but allowed sideline access from the HS AD. The real pro photog there got yelled at by the ref for crossing the chain gang line (about 1 yard outside the sideline). They watched him very carefully the rest of the game.

I agree, it's going to take one mishap and we lose sideline privileges. Luckily at our HS we have monitored gate access to the sidelines, and the coaches know who should be there. Carrying the 'big white lens" can sometimes gain sideline access by the parents (like me), but if you don't have the AD's permission, you don't follow the sideline rules, or the coaches don't recognize you, you're not getting in.

"Coach's Opinion" shouldn't matter a damn... His responsibility is what happens inside the lines.

The AD is ultimately responsible for how the school's athletic program us portrayed.

Nobody should be allowed on a HS, NCAA or NFL sideline without:
- A Signed Waiver or...
- Proof of Insurance*
- Proof of Liability Coverage*

(*Personal or Employers...)

FotoPilot wrote in post #11066992
Ouch.

Yeah, similar experience Friday night for me, although I came out without being hit. I was shooting HS football, about 3 yards off the sideline, 10 yards down field, and the opposing team ran a sweep my way. I kept shooting until the running back filled my viewfinder, tucked the camera in tight and got into a defensive position ready to jump left or right. The back saw me and swept by about two feet to my right. Luckily the defensive players didn't follow him that far outside or it would have been a very crowded place in a nanosecond.

Just a reminder for me to keep back from the sidelines and more aware of my surroundings at all times. I'm not a pro, but allowed sideline access from the HS AD. The real pro photog there got yelled at by the ref for crossing the chain gang line (about 1 yard outside the sideline). They watched him very carefully the rest of the game.

I agree, it's going to take one mishap and we lose sideline privileges. Luckily at our HS we have monitored gate access to the sidelines, and the coaches know who should be there. Carrying the 'big white lens" can sometimes gain sideline access by the parents (like me), but if you don't have the AD's permission, you don't follow the sideline rules, or the coaches don't recognize you, you're not getting in.

That's the way it is at my school as well. I am not paid and I shoot for my own experience, but all I had to do was contact the AD and he had no problem letting me on the field (most likely because I'm a senior at the school). I even have full access to the away games because I got the field pass. It also helps that I know all of the teachers that stand at the gate for as security so I never have a problem getting in.

I really like that no one besides authorized personnel is allowed on the field. We usually have about 2 other photographers out there, besides me, of course, and we can all leave our bags with extra equipment laying around without a fear of someone stealing anything. Away games, I'm a lot more cautious.

Back to the topic; I would say as long as you stay on your toes and back up when you see the play may be coming your way you should be fine. I have had a few players come flying right by right where I was standing but because I anticipated the play I was able to get out of the way with plenty of time. It's the guys that try to get that "perfect shot" that end up getting rocked. Yes, I realize when you're getting paid you need the quality shots, but you also need your health, safety, and equipment as well.

I have found that when shooting with the 400 2.8 you can be quite safe. You can shoot most of the game from the end zone and when action gets anywhere close stepping back to the track gets you better shots than staying close to the end zone.

I am getting great shots, and unlike the 300 2.8 do not find myself to close to the action.

Your responsible for your self at all times. You know the risks, if you take them your liable for your own injurys.

As a coach you bet your a$$ my opinion matters, if I don't know who you are or if you have permission to be on the sidelines, or in areas the general public is not supposed to be, then guess what, you're not there! It's my responsibility to look out for my athletes and ALL of their surroundings. Take a wild guess who can be named in a lawsuit because I didn't do my job as supervisor of that area during my games and allowed some schmuck into an area they shouldn't be? The school, the AD, the coach, any other supervisors, etc. can all be named in the lawsuit for not doing their jobs. Its the higher ups job to have rules and regulations, but it takes everyone in the chain to enforce them.

Most high schools don't get this, none I coached for did, and are open heavily to lawsuits by allowing people who have no right to be in dangerous territory without ever singing a waiver or showing proof of insurance, nothing. They let Timmy & Tammy's parents on the sidelines, hell saw one guy at a state event - which supposedly has strict rules, but does nothing to enforce them - on the field of play during the game taking photos. Tell a lawyer that the coach, AD, principal, whoever just let you down on the field into "dangerous territory" and there's no waiver on file or proof of insurance - when that lawyer gets done drooling he'll name the list of people the lawsuit is against.

Dan is right, it's going to take a serious incident for people to wake up, and even then many won't.

Agree completely with MJPhotos24 on this. A coach has every right to have any distraction removed from the sideline or court. They can ask you to move, leave, turn off flash, etc. Their responsibility is their players. If you are not an employee of the school then you do not have the automatic right to go down and patrol the sidelines. Communicate and build a relationship with the AD and the coaches and watch your distances from the sidelines at all times.

Friday was homecoming. I shoot on the sidelines with the coach's approval for my sideline pass. My images go to the Quarterback Club and the Yearbook. The former supports the football program. I take my role seriously and put the players safety first, mine, and my equipment, in that order. But Friday was homecoming and there had to be a dozen photographers on our sideline alone. Add 4 videographers and it gets crowded. I stay out of the box (25 to 25) as that is for players and coaches. But I think many moms and dads that help support the cheerleaders, band and such who don't normally stick around, were. There were quite a few point n shoots, two on monopods, and one SLR in video mode on a tripod. I don't believe I saw a field pass on any of them and several were where they weren't supposed to be. If you put yourself there, I feel you have an obligation to learn and follow some basic rules. Perhaps education is needed as much as enforcement.

Andy Z wrote in post #11153683
There were quite a few point n shoots, two on monopods, ......

Got a pic?

I was shooting the game, so I passed on the other photogs.

So, shooting playoffs this week at a bigger stadium most are in the stands where they should be. However, there's a few with sideline (coaches) passes and they have cameras. The one guy maybe raises his camera three times and the rest of the time it was just a necklace, the other guy has a cell phone camera and decides it's OK to walk on the field during plays, stand on the field during timeouts when only the coaches are allowed there, etc. So of course one leaves another shows up, though he's actually media but gets a coaches pass for who knows why. Alright, whatever the section needs to wake the hell up....here's the problem, they're wearing coaches passes and going in areas coaches are not allowed but media is - so what is it, are you a fan with a camera, are you a coach, or are you media. Who's to say they're not cheating giving a camera to a coach so he can go to the other side disguised as media - Patriots anyone?

So complain to the AD or the HS Athletic Assoc...

If that's for me Flying, it's at a rented stadium by the Section - the coordinator is not one that seems to give a rats behind and if you have a camera you can get a media credential w/o them even asking who you are, what your outlet is, etc. Only one weekend left and then it goes to states, THAT'S who I'm talking with - I'm sick of the utter lack of follow through they have on their events. Rules are clear in state events but they don't enforce it, phone call will hopefully change that (but very doubtful considering a company has paid 10K for the exclusive rights and has asked repeatedly to follow the rules on the book and they still don't).