Concussion Protocol
IIHF Divisions World Championships · Participants Regulations · Medical and Anti-Doping · Concussion Management
179.1All Team Personnel shall be familiar with the most current version of the Concussion Protocol, as outlined in Art. 115 of this Event Code as well as in Section VI of the IIHF Medical Guidelines.
179.2Team Personnel who observes any signs or symptoms of concussion shall notify their medical staff.
179.3All players who are suspected of having suffered a concussion shall be removed from play by the Team Medical Personnel and be examined by a physician.
179.4Players suspected of having a concussion shall undergo a proper evaluation by the Team Medical Personnel in a distraction-free environment.
179.5The Team physician shall assess the player in person and be solely responsible for determining whether the player is diagnosed with a concussion. If no Team Medical Personnel is available, the ECMO or Game-Day Physician shall take over this responsibility.
179.6If the IIHF Medical Supervisor deems a player may have suffered a concussion, that player shall immediately be removed from the ice and examined by the Team Medical Staff.
179.7All players who suffer a concussion shall follow the return to play guide as set out in Art. 22 of the IIHF Medical Guidelines before returning to play.
179.8In the event that the ECMO or Game-Day Physician finds that the Concussion Protocol is not being followed, then the IIHF Medical Supervisor shall report the facts to the Directorate Chairperson, who shall have the authority in accordance with Statute 14.6(b) to remove the player from the game and/or Championship.