Together with WHO

FIFA campaign on the risk of concussions

Together with the WHO, FIFA wants to draw attention to the danger of head injuries.(Bild: AFP/APA/Eitan ABRAMOVICH)

Soccer's world governing body FIFA is launching an awareness campaign on the dangers of concussions. Under the motto "Suspect and protect: No game is worth the risk", the aim is to work with the World Health Organization (WHO) to draw more attention to the health risks and symptoms of traumatic brain injuries. 

The campaign also includes guidelines for a safe return to play after a suspected or confirmed concussion.

Increased risk of dementia
The campaign is aimed at professional, children's and grassroots soccer. Proven potential late effects of concussions include earlier onset of dementia or Alzheimer's disease as well as chronic traumatic encephalopathy CTE, a progressive degenerative disease of the brain.

Concussions are a major risk, especially in contact sports such as boxing, ice hockey, rugby and American football. The issue is also increasingly coming to the fore in soccer, with some experts calling for a ban on headers. In the USA, headers have already been banned as a precautionary measure in youth sports under the age of eleven. At a meeting in March, the rule makers of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) decided, among other things, that an additional substitution can be made if a concussion is suspected, regardless of the substitutions already made.