LITTLE ROCK, ARK. ? Some college football coaches refrain from talking about their players’ injuries in a strategic move. Next season, speaking about them could be against the law.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, passed in 1996, goes into effect in April and could affect how much coaches know about players’ injuries and whether the university can report those injuries to the media.

Alabama coach Dennis Franchione has already adopted the policy. It’s why few outside the trainer’s office know whether quarterback Tyler Watts will play Saturday against Arkansas.

Watts sprained his left foot in the Tide’s victory over Southern Mississippi last week.

“I don’t see the advantage in exposing our players’ every little bump and bruise to everybody,” Franchione said Wednesday. “There’s nothing to be gained by it. I think it offers a little bit of protection to them as we go through the season.”

Under the act, which was signed by President Clinton, institutions could lose federal funding for disclosing an athlete’s medical information.

Arkansas sports information director Kevin Trainor said he and his SEC counterparts started discussing the law and its ramifications during their spring meetings. No formal guidelines for the conference were adopted then, so the discussion of injuries is left up to each university this season.

“It’s my understanding from talk going around that the health insurance act may change the landscape on that a little bit,” Trainor said. “We’re just going to wait to see what comes out of it.”

The act was designed to protect individuals’ insurance coverage by keeping their health history private when they changed jobs. Its effect on colleges is an unintended consequence.