New concussion guidelines to help protect Australia’s grassroots athletes have been introduced.
The guidelines, announced on Thursday by sports and medical officials, include a return-to-sport protocol aimed at ensuring a minimum three-week break between a concussion and the resumption of competitive contact or collision sport.
The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), in partnership with Sports Medicine Australia (SMA), launched its Concussion and Brain Health Position Statement 2024 on Thursday, alongside the Australian Concussion Guidelines for Youth and Community Sport.
The guidelines, developed in collaboration between the AIS, SMA, the Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians, and the Australian Physiotherapy Association, have used the most up-to-date, evidence-based information on concussion for athletes, parents, teachers, coaches and healthcare practitioners.
“With concussion being a major issue in sport, it is imperative that all athletes, not just those competing at an elite level who have immediate access to team doctors, get the care and attention they need,” Sports Medicine Australia CEO Jamie Crain said.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
“These guidelines will help keep all young and community-based athletes safe.
“The fact they align with international concussion guidelines demonstrates that they are practical, robust and effective.”
Federal health minister Mark Butler told Channel Nine the new guidelines would add peace of mind for parents and others overseeing community sport.
“It’s going to give real confidence to parents,” he said.
“I used to ride the boundary watching my son play footy. By the time they’re in their early teens now, they are big units and they hit hard.
“Every now and then you’d see a kid knocked out and it was a real worry for not just the parents but for the whole group around the boundaries.”
In addition to the 21 day ‘time out’ following a concussion, the minister highlighted the introduction of concussion officers to “make sure that the kids or the adults in community sport are being followed up by … medical experts”.
The AIS return to sport protocols for community and youth sports
*Introduction of light exercise after an initial 24-48 hours of relative rest.
*Several checkpoints to be cleared prior to progression.
*Gradual reintroduction of learning and work activities. As with physical activity, cognitive stimulation such as using screens, reading and undertaking learning activities should be gradually introduced after 48 hours.
*At least 14 days symptom-free (at rest) before return to contact/collision training. The temporary exacerbation of mild symptoms with exercise is acceptable, as long as the symptoms quickly resolve at the completion of exercise, and as long as the exercise-related symptoms have completely resolved before resumption of contact training.
*A minimum period of 21 days until the resumption of competitive contact/collision sport.
*Consideration of all symptom domains (physical, cognitive, emotional, fatigue, sleep) throughout the recovery process.
*Return to learn and work activities should take priority over return to sport. That is, while graduated return to learn/work activities and sport activities can occur simultaneously, the athlete should not return to full contact sport activities until they have successfully completed a fully return to learn/work activities.
Bernie Vinson
Roar Rookie
Yes hard to police all over the field but I agree 150%. Cheeky sledges are taunting? Pushing in the chest when you tackle someone holding the ball is one I would get rid off
Valentino
Roar Rookie
In the NFL there is a "taunting" offence: perhaps if the AFL had a viable version of this it would take some of the heat out of the game and lower expectations about what players think they can get away with re playing the man rather than the ball. Not to say that the old 'human wrecking ball' days are basically over.
Perthstayer
Roar Rookie
Get it done. When everyone knows what is what, then they can plan accordingly. Things need to start happening before the courts tell us what we must do. Because that is where this trainwreck issue is heading.
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
Where did I say AIS was? I said the government as in the federal minister coming out!
Bernie Vinson
Roar Rookie
AIS not the Govt - they have no legal power in this regard - its an advisory
Bernie Vinson
Roar Rookie
It applies to lower levels. Meanwhile Charlie Goodsir (SEN reporter which is part-owned by Nine network) article in Sydney Herald and Age starts off Nine (NRL rights holder) newspapers annual AFL concussion stories during AFL junior recruitment season. Usually start in late Feb/ March but the AIS concussion story meant it started early this year but SMH ignored Sean Valentines sorry concussion story at Cowboys. Note there are less AFL references in the online article than in the original newspaper article https://www.smh.com.au/sport/i-love-sport-but-there-s-more-to-life-ais-concussion-guidelines-welcomed-20240201-p5f1kc.html
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
Gotta focus on getting rid of dog shots - that's where most concussions come from in amateur sport. Exhibit A - the video to the left of your screen. Although, he managed to iron himself out.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
Why does it take an amateur longer to recover from concussion than a professional? Do we have different brains or something?
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Dudeism :thumbup:
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
But, please, for the love of Bill Murray, don't throw anything under the Dude's rug
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Yes, the AFL is a reprobate organisation.
Adam
Roar Guru
Won't happen.
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Yea but the AFL like to throw dirty laundry under that tidy rug. They play the sympathetic card but when it costs dollars in the interim l’m for one skeptical. We will see if they go ahead (21 days on sidelines) or stay silent. They may think 12 days is enough. In fact Tim English suffers from reoccurring concussion symptoms & has been on light duties throughout preseason. Clubs are probably more proactive in now protecting players than the AFL protocol.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Well if 21 days is based on the best physiological understanding of the issues then I've got no issue with it. If the sporting bodies, whichever sport, are not onboard and water down what would be the best medical understanding of a very difficult area of medicine then perhaps a sobering appearance in court with a huge payout might turn their ship around? ------ It's hard to be dogmatic
Chanon
Roar Rookie
21 days doesn’t seem unreasonable not sure the AFL will be willing. 3 weeks out at crucial games & finals will hurt clubs & the AFL will be concerned more about that scenario than the safety of player.
Tony
Roar Guru
Or not stood down in the first place
jeznez
Roar Guru
This is a pretty reasonable guideline. While a perfect Graduate Return To Play (GRTP) protocol can be completed in a week, the majority of cases aren't perfect. So more likely that most cases can return in two. Since we are dealing with amateurs and to be conservative, extending that to three weeks mean most cases will be covered relatively safety. Still up to those involved to extend if they are seeing symptoms continuing beyond the hoped for time frames. Major issue remains at the professional level, that's where the more severe cases are more common and unfortunately where we see players frequently returning on shorter timeframes.
andrew
Roar Rookie
I wonder if the NRL will adopt a 21 day stand down for concussion. I'd expect one almighty outcry from certain commentators and clubs.
Nat
Roar Guru
Thai’s will be interesting. I very much doubt any contact code will implement all of these on at a professional level and they will have support of the clubs in doing so. However, it does leave them wide open to the lawyers. To play devils advocate, I have had a look through the SMA site and any legal case would come down to a ‘your doctor vs our doctor’ and I don’t know the SMA could argue that they are the highest authority in the land supported by unequivocal evidence. They are a sports medicine association but a quick google search will display half a dozen sports medicine associations on P1. No doubt the big codes will acknowledge this report but could put up a good fight if it came to it.
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
Yes, as with our government now stepping in it really proves how slack the ruling body World Rugby was in introducing these head injury laws. They are needed, but the way WR threw the new law out there, without much thought, just shows what fools they have there. There still needs to be a lot more work on this ruling,overall, as most of us have seen.