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SPORTS Wednesday 28 February 2018

World Cup team doctors to

use video to assess concussions

By ROB HARRIS help for the doctor to make the referee only looks at
SOCHI, Russia (AP) — World his diagnosis and to say if the doctor, he doesn’t look
Cup teams have been told (the player) can go on. This at the player who could
video replays will be ex- is the first time that we will have been unconscious,”
tended to their doctors to try it. I am confident that it D’Hooghe said. “In the
assist the diagnosis of inju- will certainly be a help for case of a serious health
ries, including concussions. the medical care of our problem it’s logical the
FIFA's top medical official players." doctor decides.”
told The Associated Press Soccer is emulating pro- Medical staff can now also
that a second team doc- fessional rugby, which al- intervene without the say of FIFA medical committee chairman Michel D'Hooghe poses after
an interview with The Associated Press outside World Cup meet-
tor will be allowed access ready uses video reviews the referee if they suspect ings in Sochi, Russia on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2018.
to match footage to evalu- to check incidents where a sudden cardiac arrest.q Associated Press
ate injuries in real time to concussion is suspected.
supplement any on-field Team doctors embraced
diagnosis. the move to improve play-
It is the latest sign of FIFA er welfare by placing a
embracing technology, medic with a monitor in the
with video assistant refer- media tribune.
ees set to make their World "It's called video assistant
Cup debut at the June 14- replay medical," Egypt
July 15 tournament in Rus- team doctor Mohamed
sia. Abou Elela Aboud told
FIFA is strengthening proce- the AP. "During the game,
dures to treat head injuries team physicians are sit-
following cases at the 2014 ting on the flat level ... so
World Cup where players maybe the impact cannot
tried to stay on the field af- be seen. It's much better to
ter a concussion. see (on replays) because
Doctors from the 32 finalists you have very little time to
in Russia were briefed on assess and to do the ques-
the changes at meetings in tionnaire and tests regard-
the Black Sea resort of So- ing the concussion."
chi by FIFA medical com- This will be the first World
mittee chairman Michel Cup where games can be
D'Hooghe stopped for three minutes
"To help the doctor we to fully assess head injuries.
have now introduced a “In Brazil we had problems
system whereby an assis- in cases of concussion
tant of the doctor or a sec- where at a certain moment
ond doctor will sit in front the doctor asks for the re-
of a television screen and placement of a player and
can help the doctor in tak- the player says, ‘No I want
ing his decision," D'Hooghe to go on,’” D’Hooghe said.
told the AP, "because he “So that was a little bit of a
can review very clearly, chaotic situation. Now we
very concretely what hap- have a new rule, the three-
pened on the field, what minute rule.”
the doctor sitting on the That gives more authority
bench perhaps could not to the doctor to determine
see. the impact of a collision.
"This is a supplementary “After these three minutes

linda.reijnders@cspnv.com