Matt Maher: Temporary subs should become permanent rule
Once again we find ourselves wondering just what needs to happen for football to take the simple step of introducing temporary concussion substitutes?
The head injury sustained by Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez at Newcastle last weekend led to the latest round of calls for the rule to be implemented without delay.
“Put simply, the current laws of the game are jeopardising player health and safety,” said Dr Adam White, head of the Professional Footballers’ Association’s brain health department.
“Permanent substitutions do not allow medical teams to assess a player with a potentially serious brain injury in an appropriate environment. The rules as they are create an extremely challenging situation and offer no support to medical personnel.”
That statement is remarkably similar to the one released by the PFA in February when Leeds defender Robin Koch, like Martinez, was initially allowed to play on before eventually being withdrawn due to the effects of a collision with Manchester United’s Scott McTominay. Yet it fell on deaf ears and the concern is White’s words will do the same.
There is no question the protocols when a player receives a head injury are thorough. Players are checked for trauma, dizziness, sickness and concussion, while video evidence is also looked at for any evidence they might have lost consciousness.
The issue has always been these assessments being carried out on the pitch in front of thousands of supporters who, like those at St James’s Park, become increasingly restless at the delay to the action. Relieving the pressure, allowing the player to be replaced for 15 or 20 minutes while they are properly assessed in the relative calm of the dressing room seems an entirely logical step. Other sports do it. Football’s reticence remains puzzling.
Surely it is not through a belief the use of temporary substitutes might be abused? Granted, you could never discount the possibility, yet the risks football continues to run and the dangers of head injuries are far too serious to be overly concerned about that.
Safety of the participants should be paramount in any sport. Do football’s lawmakers actually understand that?
