Concussion subs set to be trialled in England NEXT SEASON… but medical authorities want head-injury changes implemented by JANUARY
The trial of concussion substitutes in professional football is set to be implemented at the start of next season in England.
The new rule will allow a change to be made if a player suffers a head injury, even if all substitutions have already been used.
Opposition teams will also be able to make a change, to avoid potential abuse of the rule, and the trials are set to be discussed by law makers on November 23, with medical authorities wanting implementation as soon as January.
The trial of concussion substitutes in football will be trialled in England from next season
The rule would allow a change to be made for a head injury even if a team has used all its subs
Brain injury charity Headway told BBC a delay until next season concerned them and it would prefer temporary substitutions being used.
Headway would support a similar procedure to that of rugby union, where doctors are given 10 minutes to assess a head injury.
Headway deputy chief executive Luke Griggs said: ‘I can understand why these things need to be trialled in order to get the infrastructure around it complete.
‘But there has been meeting after meeting and proposal after proposal about head injury substitutions for so many years and here we are at the end of 2020 and still nothing has happened.
‘Five substitutions were brought in to help with the condensed calendar because of coronavirus, so it shows football can make rapid change when it wants to.’
More to follow…