Spinal Injury Log Roll with Manual Head Hold

In groups of five, students practice holding the head of a casualty with a possible spinal injury and log rolling them if they vomit or the back needs to be checked. They work on coordination, clear commands and why you should not move an injured person without a reason.

How to play

1. Intro (4 min): the teacher explains that after a hard fall the first rule is not to move them and to hold the head in line; you roll only if there is a risk, such as vomiting.
2. Groups of 5 with a mat: a casualty lying face up, a leader at the head, two helpers at shoulders and hips, and an observer with a role card.
3. Head hold (4 min): the leader places hands on both sides of the head without covering the ears and keeps nose, belly button and feet in line for two minutes; rotate leaders.
4. Log roll (8 min): on the leader's call, "on three, we roll," the helpers roll the casualty toward them like a log; the observer watches that head and trunk don't twist.
5. Return the casualty face up using the same command; every student rotates through every position in 2-minute rounds.
6. Final challenge (5 min): each group performs the roll for another group, which scores alignment and command clarity from 1 to 3.
7. Wrap-up (4 min): in real life, wait for EMS and move someone only if there is danger.

Rules

• Only the leader gives commands and nobody moves before "three."
• The casualty stays relaxed and doesn't help with their own strength.
• Always work on mats with slow movements.
• If the casualty feels any neck discomfort, stop immediately.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: the student takes the observer role or the head leader role from a seated position.
• Deaf or hard of hearing: the countdown comes with three taps on each helper's shoulder.
• Lower strength: match casualties of similar size and add an extra helper.

Learning goals

• Maintain head, neck and trunk alignment of a casualty.
• Coordinate a log roll using clear commands.
• Judge when moving an injured person is justified.

Equipment for a class of 25

• mats: 5
• role cards: 5

Teacher tip

Stress that this is not for moving injured people out of habit; it's for when you truly have to. The most common error is the head lagging behind: the leader calls it and turns with the head.

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