Safeword (sports)

A safeword, as used in sports, is a code word used by a player to avoid impending injury or painful stress.

In certain contact sports such as rugby and Professional wrestling , when a player feels an opposing players actions will lead to him or herself being seriously injured, he may utter a safeword which tells the opponent to stop the actions.

Professional Rugby union footballers recognize the safeword "Neck". This is said, during a scrum, when a player fears his neck risks being broken. Players on both teams will recognize this and immediately release any downward pressure.

A more common example is "maita" (pronounced "may-ta", meaning "I submit") in most Japanese martial arts including judo, which indicates surrender, usually due to an arm lock or a choke. In professional competition, saying "stop" or "help" does not indicate surrender and the opponent may continue combat.

During Lifeguard training, the American Red Cross uses a "tap off" as a form of the safeword. If at anytime one of the lifeguard trainees feels that they do not have enough oxygen to complete an underwater simulation of a rescue, that trainee should tap the other person twice to signal that the rescue has been aborted.