The Premier League has agreed to trial the use of concussion substitutes following an agreement with shareholders.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) created the trial and is now just waiting for conformation of the process which will be used before it starts in England’s top league.
IFAB are believed to now only need information regarding the “reporting processes and private medical information” before it starts the trial next week.
The initial rules state that teams will be allowed to make two additional concussion substitutes, regardless of the number of subs that have already been made.
Other regulations surrounding the new substitute rule is that a ‘tunnel doctor’ will have access to video evidence before making the final call on allowing the sub. It was further stated that there will be no time limit for the medical assessment and final decision to be made.
This is to stop any club doctor from making that decision and also taking the same authority away from the referee. The Premier League has also announced it will be asking referees to report suspicious behaviour of clubs looking to abuse the rule and gain a tactical advantage from the subs.
The subject surrounding concussion substitutes and the seriousness in which head injuries are viewed within football has been hotly debated.
The FA’s statement regarding them is “footballers who sustain a suspected concussion, either during training or in a game, should immediately be removed from the pitch and not allowed to return until the appropriate treatment has been administered.”
Despite these protocols being in place, many have queried why David Luiz was allowed to continue playing after his head collision with Wolves striker Raul Jimenez.
This rule change will come as a welcome one, especially with The Guardian’s Sean Ingle claiming that “football is lagging behind both rugby codes as well cricket, the NFL and horse racing when it comes to head impacts”.
With the issue of dementia being such a topical talking point recently as well, the Premier League’s decision to make advances in player healthcare is more than a welcome one and one that will go down well if clubs can avoid attempting to misuse it.
