Leading brain injury charity Headway has welcomed new rules on how Premier League football clubs deal with head injuries.

“We are pleased to see the football authorities have addressed the serious issue of concussion,” said Peter McCabe, Chief Executive of Headway. “The measures announced today are a significant step forward in the protection of footballers at all levels and therefore are warmly welcomed.

“The more we know about head and brain injury, the better we understand the risks of continuing to play competitive sport following a concussion. The guidelines at all levels, from FIFA to the FA and Premier League, have to date been insufficient and ineffective, as demonstrated by numerous high-profile examples.

“The debacle with Spurs’ Hugo Lloris, who was allowed to overrule his club doctor and return to the pitch having sustained a serious head injury in collision with Everton’s Romelu Lukaku, was truly shocking. Since then, there have been numerous other examples of FIFA and FA guidelines being breached, including two incidents in the World Cup.

“Headway was critical of the way these incidents were treated at the time, but we’re pleased to hear the charity’s views – as well as those from the likes of FIFPro and numerous medical experts – have now been acted upon.

“Concussion is an evolving injury, with symptoms that may take time to manifest. There is consensus in sport and medicine that once a player is suspected of having sustained a concussion, that player should be removed from the field of play and not be allowed to return until fully assessed by a medical professional.

“Sadly, however, we see too many examples of players or coaches overruling team doctors and demanding a return to the field of play, despite displaying clear signs of a concussive injury. We are therefore delighted to see a rule categorically stating coaches and managers can have no influence over a player’s fitness to return to the game.

“We are also pleased with the commitment to incite a cultural change in the game that will challenge the myth that you are being ‘brave and courageous’ by choosing to play on after sustaining a concussion. Grass roots players do not have the luxury of having doctors on standby should something go wrong, so it’s vital that we make people aware of the risks.

“As with all new initiatives, it will be important to carefully monitor how these new rules are implemented, whether they need to be strengthened further, and what sanctions will be imposed on clubs deemed to be breaking the rules.

“Having a third doctor on the sidelines will undoubtedly help, particularly in identifying concussion symptoms that may present themselves as the game progresses. However, we do have concerns that team doctors, employed by the club or international federation, will come under intense pressure to make decisions that are deemed to be in the best interest of the team, rather than the individual player’s health.

“It is vital that decisions regarding a player’s suitability to return to the field of play are made by independent doctors, with measures put in place to protect them against pressure from club staff or the players themselves.”

Overview of the new concussion rules

• A player suffering a head injury must now leave the pitch.
• Team managers or coaching staff will no longer decide if a player continues to play and the final decision will be with the club doctor.
• Home teams in the Premier League must now have a third “tunnel” doctor on match-days to support the work of the doctors for both sides.
• The “tunnel” doctor will serve as an extra pair of eyes to spot potential concussions and watch TV replays to see the severity of incidents.
• The FA, in conjunction with the Football League, PFA and LMA, is to launch a campaign aimed at making players and managers at all levels aware of the dangers of head injuries.
• The Premier League is to employ its own doctor to conduct research and liaise with all 20 club doctors in the league on key medical matters.
• All Premier League players are to undergo baseline neurological assessments as part of their annual medical check-up to help doctors measure their recovery time if they suffer a concussion.