Permanent Concussion Substitutions Introduced in Football Laws from July 2024

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has confirmed that permanent concussion substitutions will be introduced into the laws of football. This measure, which has already been trialled in various competitions including the Premier League, Women’s Super League, FA Women’s Championship, and FA Cup, will take effect from July 1, 2024.

Under the new protocol, teams will be allowed to make additional substitutions, outside of their allotted amount, if a player shows signs of a concussion. This rule applies regardless of the number of changes the team has already made.

However, the proposal for temporary concussion substitutions, which had been advocated for by the Premier League and players’ unions, was not approved at the annual general meeting of IFAB.

The Scottish Football Association CEO, Ian Maxwell, stated that the trial for permanent concussion substitutions has concluded and is now officially part of the laws of the game. It will be up to individual competitions to decide whether they want to implement permanent concussion substitutes.

In addition to the concussion substitution rule, other changes to the laws of the game were approved at the AGM. Handball offenses that are not deliberate will be treated the same as other fouls, and encroachment by outfield players during penalty kicks will only be penalized if it has an impact.

Trials will be conducted below the top two tiers for certain situations, such as only the team captain being able to approach the referee and the introduction of cooling-off periods to allow the referee to require teams to go to their own penalty area.

Furthermore, there will be a trial to increase the time limit for goalkeepers holding the ball from six to eight seconds, with possession then reverting to the opposing team.

Sin bin trials will continue at grassroots level, but there are no plans to expand them after facing significant opposition from high-profile figures in the game.

The permanent concussion substitute protocol means that if a player leaves the pitch for a concussion assessment, the match will continue either with the player being permanently replaced and unable to return, or with the player's team playing with a numerical disadvantage.

According to FIFA's data, there have been approximately 650 reported concussion incidents across 277 competitions over three seasons. FIFA's general secretary, Mattias Grafstrom, emphasized the importance of education and collaboration with leagues to collect more data and ensure player welfare.

While the introduction of temporary concussion substitutes was not approved, the Premier League and player unions continue to advocate for their implementation, citing the success of similar measures in rugby and the National Football League.

The AGM also discussed other topics, such as the use of blue cards and sin bins. However, the proposal for blue cards and sin bins was scrapped, and discussions about sin bins at the elite level will continue.

Other trials include time-wasting protocols, where the crowd and players will respond to the referee's countdown after the goalkeeper gains control of the ball. The protocols for giving possession to the opposing team are still being discussed.

The scope of VAR was not extended at the AGM, but FIFA confirmed that referees will announce VAR decisions to supporters during the Olympic football tournament. Efforts are being made to improve communication and engagement with fans regarding VAR decisions.