According to the "Post" report, Chelsea, Leeds United and other Premier League teams hope to change the substitution rules, when the player has a suspected concussion, allow the team to make a temporary substitution similar to rugby matches.
In the 26th round of the Premier League, Leeds United lost 4-2 at home to Manchester United. Leeds United's German defender Koch was hit in the head and bleeding in the 12th minute, and he went to the sidelines to receive a treatment and bandage before continuing the game. In the 31st minute, Koch fell to the ground again and signaled to the sideline that his eyesight had been affected, before Leeds United replaced Koch, a controversial move.
Leeds United said: "Leeds United's team doctor has been supportive of the concussion temporary substitution rule as this will give staff more time to assess the player's injury and can observe for a period of time to see if other symptoms may appear. Chelsea's technical adviser Petr Cech, a member of the Premier League's concussion group, suffered a serious injury in a 2006 match that fractured his skull.
Last year' FA and Premier League, at the recommendation of the International Football Association Council (IFAB), a concussion permanent substitution rule was introduced, with up to 2 additional substitutions per team if a player suffers a head injury during a match. But the World Players' Association and the Premier League Players Association want to create temporary substitution rules for concussions similar to those in rugby matches: after a player has a head injury, the team can temporarily replace another player, and after the injured player has completed treatment, it is decided whether he will return to the stadium or be replaced permanently.
The Players Association believes that under the current concussion permanent substitution rules, once a player is injured and treated on the sidelines, the team will have one less person on the field to fight, which will make the team doctor rush to make a decision under pressure, and permanent substitution will also cause the injured player to be reluctant to leave the court. These can affect the physical health of the players.
The Premier League Players Association issued a statement saying: "The injury of Leeds United player Koch once again shows that the current concussion substitution rules in football fail to prioritize the safety of players. As representatives of English league players, we have made it clear to the International Football Association Council that we would like to see the introduction of concussion temporary substitution rules. The current rules set by the International Football Association Council are not working and the players are in danger. ”
This time, Koch insisted on returning to the field after being injured, but after playing for a while, the injury worsened and had to be replaced, which is a loophole in the current substitution rules. The Post said that there are currently a number of Premier League clubs that believe that the permanent substitution rule for concussion is not enough and have asked for an increase in the temporary substitution rule for concussion. Premier League clubs have already submitted the request to the Premier League, while Premier League officials will continue to submit it to the International Football Association Council, which is responsible for setting the rules for football, which will discuss the matter at its annual general meeting next month.
(Su Erhu)