Football
ESPN staff 9y

FIFA to consider new '3-minute' concussion rule proposal

FIFA wants to improve football's concussion protocol by stopping matches for three minutes while team doctors assess players with head injuries.

After high-profile incidents of injured players staying on the field at the World Cup, FIFA said on Tuesday its executive committee will confirm a proposal that gives referees new powers to halt play at its two-day meeting in Zurich starting on Thursday.

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The board includes Belgian doctor Michel D'Hooghe, who chairs the FIFA and UEFA medical committees.

"The incidents at the World Cup have shown that the role of team doctors needs to be reinforced in order to ensure the correct management of potential cases of concussion in the heat of competition,'' FIFA said in a statement.

UEFA adopted the three-minute break protocol last week and will apply it in Champions League matches from next week.

#INSERT type:image caption:Christoph Kramer's head injury at the World Cup revived concerns about FIFA's concussion protocol. END#

"Following recent discussion with team doctors and confederations, the FIFA Medical Committee agreed at a meeting held yesterday in Zurich to submit a proposal to the FIFA Executive Committee in order to improve the protocol," FIFA said in a statement.

"Under the proposal, whenever a suspected incident of concussion occurs, the referee will have the ability to stop the game for three minutes, allowing the relevant team doctor to complete an on-pitch assessment and decide if the player has suspected concussion.

"The referee will only allow the injured party to continue playing with the authorisation of the team doctor, who will have the final decision.''

D'Hooghe expressed hope at the recent Soccerex convention in Manchester that the global governing body could implement the proposal as soon as Oct. 1.

Germany's Christoph Kramer played on in the World Cup final with a head injury before being eventually being substituted, while Uruguay's Alvaro Pereira and Argentina's Javier Mascherano also returned to the field after being knocked out during matches.

In the Premier League, Tottenham sparked a parliamentary debate by allowing goalkeeper Hugo Lloris to play on against Everton last season after suffering a concussion.

Lloris later admitted he was wrong to do so and the league responded by tightening guidelines to allow club doctors to overrule players and coaches in such decisions, assisted by an independent doctor in the tunnel should the need arise.

Information from The Associated Press and Press Association was used in this report.

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