IT CHANGES NOTHING
EXTRA PERMANENT SUB ALLOWED WHEN THERE’S A HEAD INJURY BUT RULING IS SLAMMED BY EXPERTS
Brain injury experts r esponded with dismay last night as football’s lawmakers passed up the chance to introduce temporary concussion substitutes, which is part of Sportsmail’s charter to tackle dementia in the sport.
The international Football association Board (iFaB) voted to allow teams a permanent additional substitute if a player sustains a head injury — with the SFa last night confirming that it will begin the application process to introduce a trial in the Scottish Cup, possibly as soon as the Boxing Day ties.
But Dr Willie Stewart, the neuropathologist whose research revealed former professional players were three-and-a-half times more likely to die of brain disease, was among academics and campaigners who declared the idea would not result in meaningful improvement.
Despite teams being allowed to make a further on-field change, the permanent nature of the substitution would mean medics being forced into relatively fast on-field decisions that could not then be changed in the game.
Dr Stewart said iFaB’s proposal did not ‘represent progress’ and Peter McCabe, chief executive of the brain injury charity Headway, added: ‘The benefit of a temporary substitution is that it allows for the player to be assessed off the pitch, in a quiet, appropriate treatment room away from the heat of battle.
‘We know how difficult it can be for club medics to make concussion assessments on or at the side of the pitch. if these decisions continue to be made in the same way, it is hard to see how player welfare will be improved. rather than celebrating this move, we question what difference it will make.’
The concern is that players would be pushed back into action with head injuries rather than a manager making a substitution that cannot be reversed. With a temporary substitution, the need for fast decisions goes.
iFaB’s announcement came the day after Jan Vertonghen detailed how he suffered nine months of headaches and dizziness after a collision with team-mate Toby alderweireld while playing for Tottenham against ajax in the Champions League.
Headway said Vertonghen’s testimony proved head injuries were not being treated seriously enough — both during games and after such a blow, when an extended period of rest is needed. Vertonghen came back on despite the blow to the head.
‘There were clear and obvious errors and i would be surprised if we do not see other cases coming to light as players read Vertonghen’s words and relate that to their own experience,’ said Headway’s Luke Briggs.
The new substitute system permits teams to replace a player who has a head injury even if they have made all their substitutions. To avoid the rule being exploited, the opposing team will be allowed to make a fourth substitution at the same time.
Despite doubts about the effectiveness of t he move, John MacLean, the Scottish Fa’s Chief Medical Consultant, said: ‘This is an important step in the progress that is being made across sport surrounding head injuries. The introduction of a permanent concussion substitute in f ootball would build on Scotland’s worl d - l e a d i n g approach on the subject of head injury and trauma in sport.’