Ok guys, the context is:-

"QPR manager Harry Redknapp has called on the football authorities to consider following their rugby counterparts by allowing temporary substitutions to improve the treatment of concussion.

Redknapp was frustrated after medics withdrew Sandro just 11 minutes into Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Southampton following a heavy blow to his head."

What do you guys think of the idea of temporary subs? I think it would be quite a good idea. However, I again think the 'Arry has too much to say for himself. I get tired of hearing him all the time. Maybe this is something for the FA to look into. Thoughts lads?

If the physio even suspects that the player has a concussion, he shouldn't go back into the game. It's just too dangerous for the player and their mental health. I've seen concussions become a serious problem with American football players as those who were not treated properly and continued to play with a concussion developed CTE, a degenerative brain disease that develops after blasts and concussions and can cause depression, aggression and memory loss, and other brain injuries. It's becoming more of a problem in the NFL with former players committing suicide or others revealing that they are battling depression, and it seems that the majority of the players were affected by multiple concussions and consistent blows to the head.

 

So I would be in favor of Redknapp's idea but I think it should even be pushed further for the safety of the players. Christoph Kramer got a concussion in the World Cup final and didn't even know what game he was playing in and asked the referee what was going on. Obviously you can't protect against everything and of course the players want to stay on the pitch but I for one don't want this sort of thing to become more common. I'm all for providing safety for the players while not detracting from the play on the pitch and I don't think taking players out for concussions would hurt the game.

Edited September 30, 201411 yr by Butterhampton FC

More needs to be done about concussion in football, but Redknapp's reaction underlines why interchanges are a bad idea. Too often in rugby, a concussed player is removed from the field and then put back on later if they "feel" better.

Research suggests that repeated concussion, particularly additional impacts to a an already concussed area, has the most serious long-term effects. The long term effect of repeated concussion is brain damage, particularly in the temporal and frontal lobes, leading to memory loss and loss of control of emotion and mood. The tragedy is that not only is the damage irreparable, it happens decades after the athlete's career has ended, effectively allowing clubs and associations to wash their hands. It doesn't matter how much they get paid- no player should literally have to give their life on the field. A concussed player needs to leave the field.

Thr problem with interchanges is that there's just too much pressure for managers to bring a concussed player back when he needs him. It should be up to a doctor, not the oplayer or coach. Redknapp's argument leaves us with a choice between a manager's convenience and a player's health- pretty easy decision.

Concussed players should be withdrawn from the match and probably given a compulsary week sick leave (or something like that). Having said that, I would probably enjoy "flying subs" as in ice hockey. Oh, the chaos  !

More needs to be done about concussion in football, but Redknapp's reaction underlines why interchanges are a bad idea. Too often in rugby, a concussed player is removed from the field and then put back on later if they "feel" better.

Research suggests that repeated concussion, particularly additional impacts to a an already concussed area, has the most serious long-term effects. The long term effect of repeated concussion is brain damage, particularly in the temporal and frontal lobes, leading to memory loss and loss of control of emotion and mood. The tragedy is that not only is the damage irreparable, it happens decades after the athlete's career has ended, effectively allowing clubs and associations to wash their hands. It doesn't matter how much they get paid- no player should literally have to give their life on the field. A concussed player needs to leave the field.

Thr problem with interchanges is that there's just too much pressure for managers to bring a concussed player back when he needs him. It should be up to a doctor, not the oplayer or coach. Redknapp's argument leaves us with a choice between a manager's convenience and a player's health- pretty easy decision.

Players aren't allowed back on if they have a concussion in England and cant play for 2 weeks and then go back into partial contact and then a week after that full contact from RFU legislation...unless youre talking about rugby in australia which i have no idea about.

 

Mascherano should have been taken off in the world cup but wasn't. More definitely needs to be done in football with head injuries but i think Redknapp was talking more in broader terms of injury and not just concussion, which i'd definitely agree with his idea. I like that Redknapp brings up issues to try and improve football and isn't just all lardy darr about everything like other managers are

Even with temp subs, it would still be abused. An extra late game sub against tired opponents would be just too much of an advantage for managers not to be tempted.

Players aren't allowed back on if they have a concussion in England and cant play for 2 weeks and then go back into partial contact and then a week after that full contact from RFU legislation...unless youre talking about rugby in australia which i have no idea about.

 

Sorry, was talking about Australia. The same rules are now in force here but only very recently. Previously, coaches and players were allowing concussed players to return to play when they felt better, which as I mentioned earlier is the worst possible thing you can do.

I actually really like the idea of interchanges in football, it would dramatically increase the intensity of the games, but I don't think it is a specific solution to concussion and for concussion injuries it may have the potential to be abused. 

 

 

 

Even with temp subs, it would still be abused. An extra late game sub against tired opponents would be just too much of an advantage for managers not to be tempted.

 

 

How so? It's pretty hard to fake a concussion, and even so, the risk of long-term injury far outweighs the risk of cheating.