Table of Contents
- What are concussion substitutions in soccer?
- When were concussion substitutions introduced to soccer?
- Why were they introduced?
- What other sports have concussion substitutions?
- Are concussion substitutions a good thing for the game?
- Recap: Concussion subs in soccer
Thankfully the days of not addressing concussions in soccer are long gone, but until recently, when a soccer player was concussed, your side simply had to sacrifice one of their regular substitutions.
This is no longer the case since the introduction of the concussion substitution. Still in the dark? Here, we discuss what the concussion substitution is and how it’s applied in soccer.
What are concussion substitutions in soccer?
A concussion substitution is an extra substitution granted when a player is deemed to have suffered a concussion.
In a lot of elite leagues, teams are allowed five substitutions per match. However, if a concussion or suspected concussion occurs to either team, both sides will be granted an additional substitution so that the player who needs to be replaced won’t cost the team a regular substitution.
Using the Premier League as an example, an “independent” doctor (technically, this “tunnel doctor” is selected by the side hosting the match but the league insists they work neutrally for both sides) will assess a player who has suffered from a head collision before deciding on whether they’re showing signs of a concussion and therefore, continue or not.
We touched on concussion substitutes in one of our previous articles. To learn more about substitutions in soccer generally, read about it here.
When were concussion substitutions introduced to soccer?
When concussion substitutions were brought in (if at all for some leagues) depends on the league you are talking about.
MLS introduced two additional concussion substitutions to its usual five substitutions per team in the interest of player safety and welfare in 2021.
This was a result of FIFA’s green light for pilot programs to go ahead in leagues under their jurisdiction.
This year, however, leagues around the world received the disappointing news that temporary substitutions for players being assessed for concussion wouldn’t be granted trial status by the International Football Association Board (IFAB).
Part of the reason behind this was a second trial would contradict the results of the first trial (the current implementation of concussion substitutions) being conducted.
This means that teams could only make permanent substitutions, even if they were classed as concussion substitutions, for players who were suspected of having a concussion.
Why were they introduced?
Over the past decade especially, there has been a huge focus on player welfare. This extends to former players too, not just those still in the game.
There have been numerous studies regarding the long-term health impact that constant blows to the head have on people. One of the conditions it can contribute towards is Alzheimer’s disease, where the memory of a person gradually and increasingly fades.
A lot of the research done before it became such a hot topic in soccer was done in the NFL, where there this has been talked about for a very long time. One academic report concluded that over 90% of former NFL players were found to have Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), which is a rare degenerative illness outside of sports that can lead to loss of memory and seriously troubling mental health issues.
While the fast and physical nature of football isn’t quite the same as soccer, the issues translate. Many permanent head injuries occur through clashes with other players and by simply heading the ball too frequently.
The concussion substitution is beneficial for the player being replaced, but it also encourages more awareness surrounding the issue on a broader scale. It takes the decision out of the hands of potentially biased team employees or medically unqualified match officials.
What other sports have concussion substitutions?
Although not a contact sport, cricket introduced concussion replacements in 2019. The reason for this is that several players were being hit in the head by balls bowled or hit towards them at speed, making the checks necessary.
Rugby has a similar concept, but they are called “blood subs” and are not centered around concussions. When a player is injured with visible blood that needs medical attention on the sideline, a team can make a temporary substitution until the player has their wound attended to and can come back on the field.
Other sports like basketball, football, and ice hockey have rolling substitutions anyway, with far less emphasis on who’s on the playing area exactly so long as the correct number of players are on.
Are concussion substitutions a good thing for the game?
Concussion substitutions have generally been received well by everybody in the game.
The introduction of the trials has put a greater focus on the safety of players and how medical staff should conduct their duties during a match.
Despite IFAB and FIFA not agreeing with many league organizers on temporary substitutions for concussions for the time being, they still believe that concussions are front and center of their approach to player health.
Before the introduction of concussion substitutions, if you had already made all your regular substitutions but then had a player go down with a suspected concussion, you would simply have to finish the match with fewer players. Almost universally, fans found this to be extremely unfair and a bugbear in the modern game.
However, there is a worry that concussion substitutions can be exploited by players. There was an incident when Wales winger Daniel James was “streetwise”, as then-manager Ryan Giggs claimed, by holding his head on the ground and reportedly faking unconsciousness. While the situation was a strange one because it wasn’t preventing a counter-attack, it raises questions about whether teams will bend the rules to gain advantages in future.
Recap: Concussion subs in soccer
There you have it, a complete guide to concussion substitutions in soccer. The introduction of this form of substitution is mostly viewed as a good thing and will benefit the welfare of players going forward.
What the future holds for medical intervention in soccer remains to be seen, so keep an eye out for any potential changes and advances to the rules.