Concussion awareness

Coaching guides

If in doubt, sit them out. How to spot a possible concussion, what to do straight away, and how a player comes back.

1. Call 112 (or your local emergency number) at once if a player was knocked out, has neck pain, has a headache that gets worse, vomits more than once, has a fit, has weakness or tingling in the arms or legs, sees double, or becomes more confused, drowsy or agitated.
2. What you may see
3. Lying still, or slow to get up.
4. Holding the head.
5. Unsteady on their feet.
6. A blank or vacant look.
7. Confusion: not knowing the score, the place or what just happened.
8. What the player may say
9. A headache or pressure in the head.
10. Dizziness, or feeling sick.
11. Blurred vision.
12. Light or noise bothers them.
13. "I don't feel right."
14. What to do
15. Recognise the signs. You do not need to be sure.
16. Remove the player straight away, and do not let them play or train again that day.
17. Refer them to a doctor or another health professional, the same day if you can.
18. Rest body and brain for the first days.
19. Recover: the symptoms must be gone before activity slowly comes back.
20. Return step by step, following World Rugby's graduated return and your union's rules. No contact until a doctor says yes.

• Anyone can and should remove a player: a coach, a referee, a parent or a team-mate.
• Children and teenagers take longer to recover and need a more careful return.
• Do not leave the player alone in the first hours, and do not let them drive.