Monday, March 2 2020, the International Federation of Professional Football Associations (FIFPro) published a press release in which it details its recommendations regarding concussion protocols.
FIFPRO takes note of the comments made at the Annual General Meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB). Because concussions can have dramatic repercussions for the health of players, FIFPRO, in its press release, recalled the need to improve current procedures in order to protect players from risks.
FIFPro welcomed the plan to grant an additional player change to a team in which one of the players passes a concussion protocol. She also encouraged the IFAB to extend the timeframe from three to ten minutes for the medical team to make the decision regarding the player’s entry (or withdrawal) from the game. The medical team must indeed make an important decision concerning the player’s health: they must be given the necessary diagnostic time to make the right decision.
The next Tokyo Olympic Games (July 24 – August 9, 2020) could be an opportunity for FIFA to test these changes.