Starting in the 2024 season, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has rolled out new safety regulations for Serie A and B.. This adjustment, prompted by recent incidents and aligned with International Football Association Board (IFAB) guidelines, introduces an additional substitution option specifically for concussions.
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This means that if a player is suspected of having a concussion, teams can make an extra substitution. Importantly, this change also allows the opposing team an extra substitution to maintain balance.
Need for a 6th man
Explaining the necessity of this update, Dr. Glauber Novais of Botafogo-PB outlined the critical nature of accurately diagnosing concussions, which can stem from either severe impacts or repeated minor traumas.
Symptoms such as confusion, memory loss, and vision changes signal the need for immediate medical attention. “A sixth substitution will be signaled as soon as the team doctor identifies a player’s head injury,” Novais stated, emphasizing the role of medical staff in these scenarios.
The CBF’s new rule also specifies that the substitution of an athlete for a concussion must be clearly indicated with a red card, provided by the match referee to the medical committees of both clubs.
These measures are designed to enhance player safety, giving team doctors the authority and responsibility to act decisively for the health of the athletes, ensuring the game’s integrity and the players’ well-being are maintained.
Remembering Zagallo
Sambafoot Series launched a new documentary about the football legend Zagallo. Known as ‘Velho Lobo‘ and as superstitious as it gets, Zagallo helped shape what Brazilian football is nowadays — as a player and as a coach.
The first episode is available on Sambafoot’s Youtube channel and the series will receive weekly releases to tell this legend’s life story.
