Head injury rule

[topscorer]

I'm a little concerned that some players and clubs are already cynically using the new head injury to break up play and momentum.

I think this is an important rule to help protect players so the rule may be protected rigorously.

The clubs and players that are already starting to use this rule in gamesmanship ways are a disgrace.

Not sure what the solution is but maybe every stop of play for a head injury should automatically be VAR reviewed and if it's simulation a straight red card given.

The integrity of the rule must be protected before fans and pundits start to turn against it.

Any thoughts?

[baitman]

If a player goes down with a head injury that's bad enough to make them roll around and be near death, whether real or fake, they need to go off the pitch for five minutes to be assessed.
If it's found to be real then the team can take him off and make a quick substitution and get back to a full team asap.
That'll **** up the play acting ****s.

[Liverpool]

they definitely need to go off even for 10 seconds, joke of a system at the moment

[Mr Pink]

Great topic for a thread, was thinking about this after the Everton game. I think it’s not something you can have VAR look at really- like richarlison headed the ball and went down with a head injury the other day- as clear as it was that he’s faking it, don’t see how VAR can intervene, and say that he’s definitely simulating it.

I like the idea that if the ref stops play, for an injured player, that they have to leave the field to be assessed. And in cases where it’s a head injury/ risk of concussion, they should have to be assessed by an independent medical staff member, as well as their teams medical staff, before being allowed back into the pitch. I think this should be in place for players welfare, but also would stop players from play acting if they thought they’d have to leave the pitch for a few minutes.

There’s also potential for players to abuse the concussion substitute rule by faking it, if all subs were already made, etc.

I’d also like to see the media highlight it as an issue, and name and shame players who were clearly doing it, namely richarlison.. you have someone taking advantage of a rule designed to keep players safe, and all they can talk about after the game is whether that diving cunt gordon should have had a penalty…

[Liverpool]

I think the thing is the rule is in place to protect the players and 99% of the time its genuine and you wouldn't want to punish the majority.

There was a time in the second half vs the Eve when the pigeon went down holding his head and the ref carried on knowing he was faking but what if he wasn't?

[baitman]

I think the thing is the rule is in place to protect the players and 99% of the time its genuine and you wouldn't want to punish the majority.

There was a time in the second half vs the Eve when the pigeon went down holding his head and the ref carried on knowing he was faking but what if he wasn't?

The poor pigeon

[topscorer]

I suppose one issue is if a player has to go off when play is stopped for a head injury it could have the reverse effect of someone that's really taken a hit to the head acting like everything is fine and getting up fast so they don't go a man down.

Head injuries can have long term effects that aren't immediately seen.

I think that's why the rule was put in place as it is now. So that players aren't pressured by clubs to fake that they're fine.

It's an honor system that's already being exploited by the very people it's designed to protect.

I wonder how much the club/s have influenced players to exploit this rule.

It's a disgrace that we need to have this conversation already.

I don't want to change it in any way that could negatively affect the safety of the players but it's already clear that the rule won't work as it is now.

[Irishnev]

I'm a little concerned that some players and clubs are already cynically using the new head injury to break up play and momentum.

I think this is an important rule to help protect players so the rule may be protected rigorously.

The clubs and players that are already starting to use this rule in gamesmanship ways are a disgrace.

Not sure what the solution is but maybe every stop of play for a head injury should automatically be VAR reviewed and if it's simulation a straight red card given.

The integrity of the rule must be protected before fans and pundits start to turn against it.

Any thoughts?

Another area where rugby is far ahead - they have HIA (Head Injury Assessment) protocols. If there is a sign of a head injury the player is taken off (you can replace him for the duration of the assessment) and assessed by a third party doctor so no shenanigans can happen.

It’s well established in the game now

[Exiled_red]

I don't think VAR can do anything, while Richarlison was clearly acting the prick. I think most times there was contact to the head/face however minimal, except on occasion where there was a tangle of legs/trip. but I imagine he would claim he caught the player's knee or hit the ground in his fall. I don't think many players would be stupid enough to go down holding their head after no contact. I think it's like the pen claims in most cases there is some contact but the player makes the most of it, or goes looking for some minor contact.

What happened to the rule where if the trainer/physio came on the player had to go off?

[SB]

Another area where rugby is far ahead - they have HIA (Head Injury Assessment) protocols. If there is a sign of a head injury the player is taken off (you can replace him for the duration of the assessment) and assessed by a third party doctor so no shenanigans can happen.

It’s well established in the game now

Rugby league over here is onto that protocol too & a mandatory week off is often enforced. I think the club gets 10 mins to assess the player with the free interchange rule.

[labourRed]

Yeah, that's two games on the trot where players have looked to exploit the head injury for sportsmanship gains.

I don't agree with VAR intervening and i don't agree with a rolling sub either. Rugby and football are very different sports, managers already won't sub a player into a team defending a set piece as happened last night for nearly ten minutes. You can't penalise genuine head injuries.

The Villarreal one last night was a very obvious simulation and perhaps you could make a case for VAR pulling him up on simulation but it doesn't sit right with my either - maybe its the lesser of two evils.

On a separate note, i saw Steve Thompson on BBC breakfast this morning flogging his new book and putting the spotlight on his own and sporting brain damage. Which is why i'd be careful of penalising genuine head injuries in any way.

[Buzzo]

Another area where rugby is far ahead - they have HIA (Head Injury Assessment) protocols. If there is a sign of a head injury the player is taken off (you can replace him for the duration of the assessment) and assessed by a third party doctor so no shenanigans can happen.

It’s well established in the game now

Yep

The difference with Rugby is that the moral code is so respected that you would just never have a player feigning head injury (bloodgate aside) it’s not an acceptable behaviour.

[Maxiedge]

Not much can be done to stop this from happening imo. There is no way to say for sure someone is feigning/genuinely dazed or concussed. So many caveats. Rugby is more stop-start so that protocol fits better. If players want to fake head injuries to waste time, then that is on their moral conscience.

[Irishnev]

Yep

The difference with Rugby is that the moral code is so respected that you would just never have a player feigning head injury (bloodgate aside) it’s not an acceptable behaviour.

Those pesky English clubs Buzzo

[Buzzo]

Those pesky English clubs Buzzo