New concussion rules for TX athletes
NewsChannel 10
Amarillo, Texas – Safety changes are coming for all public school athletes across Texas. As of August 22, there are new concussion rules mandated by the state.
This new law prevents any players who shows concussion-like symptoms in a game or practice from returning to action until they’ve been cleared by a doctor.
We spoke with local coaches and trainers who say they’ve always aired on the side of caution, but this new law takes already-existing safety measures one step further.
Every school now has to have a concussion oversight team made up of trainers and a physician.
That team determines what steps a player must go through to re-acclimate into full contact games.
AISD Athletic Director Brad Theissen says “They would do some activities and see if that affects them, whether they’re dizzy and some of those other symptoms that come back. If they can do that, they can progress a little farther on the field and do some activities then practice without contact, and then finally into full practice.”
If a player goes back into the game too soon after a concussion it could cause permanent brain damage and in some cases, they could even die.