Head injuries are common in soccer. For the federal leagues there are now uniform rules of conduct for these cases.
In German professional football there is a uniform protocol for dealing with head injuries for the first time. The German Football League published the paper after all clubs in the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga had signed it.
Working group developed concept
It was developed by the DFL’s “Medicine in Professional Football” working group with the support of the Medical Commission of the German Football Association (DFB) and is intended to raise awareness.
“The measures to educate, prevent and treat head injuries have been significantly expanded in recent years. This is to be welcomed, because head injuries are not trivial,” said long-time national team doctor Tim Meyer from Saarland University. He created the concept together with the Paderborn neurologist Claus Reinsberger.
Clear protocol for head injuries
The protocol contains measures and guidelines relating to the treatment of acute head injuries during training or matches. Several appendices also support diagnostics and resumption of sporting activities, the latter with a guide to returning to sport after concussion.