The subject of concussions in football and the current protocols cropped up again at the weekend when Leeds defender, Robin Koch, sustained a head injury in his team’s 4-2 Premier League loss to Manchester United.
Following the incident, which left Robin Koch with heavy bleeding coming from near his eye, he received medical treatment, was assessed (on-field) and was allowed to continue playing with his head bandaged but had to be substituted almost 20 minutes later. When Robin Koch was substituted it prompted Sky Sports commentator, Gary Neville, to comment that the player was:
“…making blinking signs with his hands, which begs the question why he was allowed to play on in the first place”.
Reactions to the incident
The incident has drawn criticisms from both brain injury charity, Headway, and the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) at the current head injury protocols in place, claiming that they are not sufficient and do not prioritise player safety.
Headway Deputy Chief Executive, Luke Griggs, said:
“Yet again we are left completely frustrated and confused by football’s approach to concussion.
“Medics have a tough time when trying to make on-pitch concussion assessments. The game simply has to help them by implementing temporary concussion substitutes.
“It is hard to believe that if they had 10 minutes to assess the player in the quiet confines of the dressing room that they would have come to the conclusion that he was fit to continue.
“We need urgent answers from the Premier League as their reputation is on the line here.
“Concussion protocols in all sports clearly state ‘if in doubt, sit it out’. The Premier League needs to come out and explain to everyone – particularly impressionable youngsters and grassroots players – what the word ‘doubt’ actually means because I think we have a different definition.”
Adding:
“The days of Terry Butcher soldiering on with a bloody bandage are gone. We cannot continue with a ‘patch them up, get them back out there’ approach to head injuries. Players must be protected.
“There needs to be greater transparency with these incidents. Silence from the Premier League is not helping. Instead, it is just confusing matters and undermining all efforts to lead an evolution of attitude towards head injuries at the grassroots level. Enough is enough.”
The PFA issued a statement on Twitter, which said:
“The injury to Leeds United’s Robin Koch demonstrates again that the current concussion protocols within football are failing to prioritise player safety.
“We see frequent incidents of players returning to play with a potential brain injury, only to be removed shortly afterwards once symptoms visibly worsen.”
Adding:
“Put simply, the current rules set by IFAB (the International Football Association Board) are not working, and players are being put at risk.”
Since the incident occurred, Leeds have defended their medical staff, who they have said adhered to the Premier League’s concussion protocols and that Robin Koch passed all of the on-field concussion screening tests. But added that they would support any future implementation of temporary substitutes in similar circumstances.
Football head injury protocols
Permanent concussion substitutes were introduced last year and, while IFAB don’t currently allow individual competitions to trial temporary concussion substitutes, the Premier League has been one of the leading advocates for this solution.
The current Football Association guidelines concerning head injuries during a match state that any player who sustains a suspected concussion should immediately be removed from the field of play, and in such circumstances, an extra permanent substitution is allowed. A player should come off if there are “immediate symptoms of concussion” or later “clear symptoms” but the guidelines don’t include either the ‘if in doubt, sit out’ principle or removing a player if there is any doubt.
Given that players with concussion symptoms are already meant to be removed, campaigners, such as Headway, have long argued that the new protocol (permanent concussion substitutes) has changed nothing for injured players.
Alternatively, in rugby, medics have a minimum of 12 minutes to assess a player following a head injury and make a decision. A temporary substitution is made so the injured player can be assessed. The symptoms of concussion (listed below) are often delayed and so the additional time to assess a player increases the possibility of the assessment being accurate.
Additionally, some campaigners have said that independent medics should be making the final call on whether a player should be removed from the field of play or not, rather than place the onus being placed on a club doctor who (indirectly) may feel pressure to keep a player on.
What is a concussion?
A concussion is an injury to the brain that temporarily affects how it functions. It occurs because of an impact to the head and can cause:
- Dizziness
- Nausea or sickness
- Confusion, or trouble processing or keeping hold of information
- Sensitivity to light
- Distorted eyesight
- Loss of consciousness
How is concussion detected?
Identifying whether someone has a concussion can be tricky, mostly because symptoms can often develop and worsen over time.
If concussions are not treated cautiously, symptoms can continue for a longer period of time. There’s also the danger of what’s known as “second-impact” syndrome, which occurs when the brain swells rapidly after a person suffers a second concussion before symptoms from an earlier one have subsided, risking long-term damage.
That’s why when it comes to football, if there is any doubt, a player shouldn’t continue on the pitch until they are fully assessed and, if required, treated.
Head injury claims
Head injuries, such as a concussion, and other serious injuries can have life-changing consequences. Normally, when you are playing football or any other sport you are doing so being fully aware of the risks of sustaining an injury.
However, if a person feels that there was a reckless disregard for their safety, a deliberate intention to injure them (which wasn’t the case with the incident involving Robin Koch and Scott McTominay), or that the injury was worsened by poor protocols/practices for their assessment, treatment, removal from the field, and care, then they may be able to make a compensation claim.
Of course, head injuries and concussions are not just limited to the football field. If you or a loved one have suffered a head injury that was not your/their fault, then it is important to seek expert legal advice in relation to making a claim.
How Nelsons can help
Bruce Williams is a Partner in our expert Personal Injury and Medical Negligence team.
At Nelsons, we have an in-depth understanding of the needs of our clients with brain and head injuries. We have close contacts with medical and brain injury rehabilitation teams and have a strong track record of achieving substantial compensation for those with brain and head injuries.
We also have a long-standing connection with Headway and are on their approved solicitors’ list and working within the Headway Personal Injury Solicitors Code of Conduct. We are assessed each year by Headway to ensure we have the required level of knowledge and experience to handle these specialist claims.
If you have any questions in relation to head injury claims or other related subjects, please contact Bruce or another member of our specialist team in Derby, Leicester or Nottingham on 0800 024 1976 or via our online form.
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