Concussion Protocol & Return to Play Policy

Concussions can be very serious, so The Soccer Lab asks all coaches and team trainers to be aware of the dangers and use the tools below to determine the best course of action in case of a potential concussion.  These tools have been provided by the Ontario Soccer Association. For more information, see their complete resources available at https://www.ontariosoccer.net/concussion-resources.   

Concussion Protocol 

Because it can be difficult to recognize the signs of a concussion, we ask that the below protocol be followed in the event of any head injury. 

  1. Use the appropriate Sport Concussion Assessment tool (SCAT) below to assess the level of injury, and 
  2. Apply the Return to Play (RTP) procedure as outlined below, with the SCAT assessment to determine when the player is asymptomatic and can move to the next step. 

FIFA SCAT 3 

Coaches are strongly recommended to familiarize themselves with the FIFA SCAT 3. These assessment tools will be distributed to coaches at the beginning of the season. Consider downloading a SCAT 3 app to your mobile device to always have it handy. 

Quick reference Pocket Concussion Recognition Tool. 

Return to Play (RTP) 

There must be a minimum of 24 hours before each step is assessed, although this could be considerably longer than 24 hours. Oversight should be provided by a medical professional. 

The 6 steps are as follows: 

  1. No activity, complete rest. Once the athlete is asymptomatic, they proceed to level two. The athlete spends, at a minimum one day at each stage. 
  2. Light aerobic exercise such as walking, or stationary cycling, no resistance training. Performing step two without symptoms allows the athlete to proceed to level three. If symptoms return, the athlete moves back to stage one then continues. 
  3. Sport specific training (eg. Skating in hockey, running in soccer) progressive addition of resistance training at steps three or four. Performing step three without symptoms allows the athlete to proceed to level four 
  4. Non- contact training drills. Performing step four without symptoms allows the athlete to proceed to level five. 
  5. Full contact training after medical clearance. Performing step five without symptoms allows the athlete to proceed to step six 
  6. Game play.