What do I do about a suspected concussion?

Follow Football Australia's rule: "If in doubt, sit them out." A player with a suspected concussion must be removed from the match immediately, and examined by a medical practitioner before returning to play.

• Signs you may see: dazed or stunned, clumsy movement, slow answers, confusion about the game, score or opponent, forgetting instructions, can't recall the hit or fall, mood or behaviour changes, loss of consciousness (even briefly).
• Symptoms the child may report: headache, nausea, dizziness, blurry or double vision, sensitivity to light or noise, feeling foggy, or "not feeling right".
• Neck injury suspected: do not move the player; stabilise the neck until medical personnel assess them.
• The player must not take any further part in training, matches or other sport that day, even if they say they feel better, and should not be left alone.
• Seek emergency medical help for worsening headache, repeated vomiting, excessive drowsiness, seizures, slurred speech, weakness or numbness, or loss of consciousness.
• Under-19s need at least 14 days symptom-free at rest before full contact training and at least 21 days from the injury before match play, following the graded return-to-play steps.

Sources: https://footballaustralia.com.au/community-sports-concussion-guidelines (Community Sports Related Concussion Guidelines, April 2025) and the Coles MiniRoos National Playing Formats and Rules.