TMHA Concussion/Safe Return to Play Policy
1. If during a game or practice a player sustains a direct or indirect force to the head and subsequently exhibits signs, symptoms and/or functional changes consistent with a concussion as described in the Pocket CRT*, he/she is to be immediately removed from play. Trainers are to have a Pocket CRT* as part of their trainers kit and understand that they have the authority to make this decision.
Concussion Rec-Tool-1.pdf
2. Following their removal from play, any player suspected to have sustained a concussion is to be assessed by a medical doctor, preferably an emergency physician, to determine the extent of the player’s injury and to rule out further pathology. The physician may make recommendations in addition to those described in the 2012 Zurich Concussion in Sport Guidelines and the BMHA policy, and these are to be discussed with the team trainer.
3. Players diagnosed with a concussion should rest until they are symptom-free and should then begin a step-wise symptom-limited program with stages of progression, only after they are without symptoms for a 24 hour period. Those steps include:
1) No activity - rest until asymptomatic
2) Light aerobic exercise,
3) Sport-specific exercise
4) Non-contact training drills
5) Full contact practice
6) Return to play
There should be a minimum 24 hours for each stage involved and the athlete should return to the rest stage should symptoms recur.
MEDICAL CLEARANCE IS RECOMMENDED BEFORE STEP 2
AND REQUIRED BEFORE STEP 5.