What happens if my daughter might have a concussion?

The 2026 girls youth rule book includes the Concussion Recognition Tool. The key rule: any athlete with a suspected concussion should be removed from practice or play immediately, and should not return until assessed medically, even if the symptoms go away.

Call an ambulance if there's no licensed health care professional available and any of these red flags appear:

• neck pain or tenderness
• double vision
• weakness or tingling in the arms or legs
• severe or increasing headache
• seizure, or loss of consciousness
• vomiting
• increasing restlessness or agitation
• one pupil larger than the other

Other signs of a possible concussion:

• slow to get up after a hit to the head
• confusion, or a blank look
• balance problems
• headache, dizziness, nausea, sensitivity to light or noise
• feeling "in a fog"

After the injury: don't leave her alone for the first 1-2 hours, and don't send her home by herself; she needs to be with a responsible adult. Don't remove a goalkeeper's helmet unless you're trained to do it safely.

CDC HEADS UP guidance adds: no return that day, and not until a health care provider gives clearance.