onitoring stories this summer for our News sections heightened my awareness of the need for safety in sports. Everyone is trying to avoid the sudden tragedies that hit football recently. For basketball coaches, players, and particularly officials in game situations, there is only one way to reduce risk: common sense vigilance.

Safety: officials’ responsibility

Safety on the court is the officials’ responsibility. Asking about the health of the teams is always a good idea. That can be done unobtrusively in two situations. First, ask when you greet coaches.

Rather than confining the pregame greeting to a brief “Hello! My name is Ray Pierce. Good luck tonight, Coach.,” I'll use this: “Good to see you, Coach. How’s the team? Any injuries we need to watch? Do you have any players on medication?”

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