USYS - PA West

HomeHead Injuries

Coach/Referee Decision Making

Premises

  1.  Sports related head injury/concussion is a potentially serious on field event that should be treated conservatively, using the “when in doubt leave them out” approach
  2. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania acknowledges the seriousness of head injury among youth athletes to the extent that athletes removed from competition are required to have “specialized“ evaluation and clearance by a “healthcare professional with specific training in head injury“
  3. There are virtually no on-field officials with proper medical training, in general, or concussion-related training specifically, to make any clinical decision regarding the potential seriousness/acuity level for an on-field head injury event
  4. The current best practice recommendations, endorsed by the major national and global soccer entities. Suggest a “when doubt leave them out” approach to on field concussion related decision-making for referees, coaches, and parents for training sessions and games.
  5. Though medical professionals may be on the sidelines as part of the coaching staff or spectators, there is no way to appropriately vet or verify the credentials/qualifications of these individuals— therefore these individual’s clinical opinions should not be factored into a coach’s/referee’s “return to play” decision-making for suspected head injured players

Match Official Simplified Head Injury Decision-Making

In the event of any suspected head injury due to either player-player, player-ball (or other object), player-ground contact and/or whiplash injury, the referee should:

  1. Exercise an abundance of caution and remove that player from competition for the duration of play unless that player is evaluated and cleared by an authorized PA West Soccer healthcare official (trainer or doctor authorized by PA West Soccer to be on site).
  2. Referee should note the player removal due to injury on the official team roster and in the match summary report.  Coach should alert the club president and notify the player’s parents that evaluation is needed for the child’s safety.