Experts Meet for Fourth International Consensus Conference on Concussion in Sport

Experts representing the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and several other international sports federations are meeting in Zurich this week for the Fourth International Consensus Conference on Concussion in Sport. The objective of the two-day event is to discuss and find a consensus on the best way to manage and prevent cases of concussion in sport.

“What we are expecting is to develop very practical, simple, easy to use tools that could be applied for coaches, for the paramedical personnel on the sidelines and in grassroots, where there is little medical attention,” says Professor Jiri Dvorak, FIFA’s chief medical officer. “So we’re trying to develop simple educational materials for all involved in football and disseminate them through FIFA development programmes. With such powerful partners like FIFA, the IIHF, the IRB, the Equestrian Federation and the IOC, we can make a big impact.

“The three previous concussion conferences stimulated us to perform research studies which allowed us to convince the International Football Association Board to adapt the Laws of the Game to punish incidents which cause concussion such as an elbow to the head with a red card,” he continues. “This has led to a significant decrease of concussions. If we compare the 2002 FIFA World Cup to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, we helped to cut the frequency of concussions and head injuries by half.” For more information, click here to read the full article.