This is the page you read while it is happening. The full background is at concussion-protocol-basics. The protocol below is the next ten minutes.

One. Stop play. The kid is done for the day. There is no “let me check him again at the half.” Same-game return after a suspected concussion is the move that turns a one-week recovery into an eight-week one, or worse.

Two. Move the kid to a quiet area. Sideline corner, locker room, parking-lot car. Bright lights and loud noise make symptoms worse and make assessment harder.

Three. Check for red flags. Any of the following means call 911:

  • Loss of consciousness, even brief
  • Severe headache that worsens
  • Repeated vomiting
  • Seizure
  • Slurred speech or difficulty understanding
  • Weakness, numbness, or coordination loss on one side
  • Neck pain or refusal to move the neck
  • Worsening confusion or unable to recognize people or place
  • Pupils unequal in size

For a possible neck injury, do not move the kid. Stabilize the head. Call 911.

Four. If no red flags, observe. Concussion symptoms without loss of consciousness are still concussions. Watch for:

  • Dazed or “blank” expression
  • Balance problems, stumbling on level ground
  • Sensitivity to bright light or loud sound
  • Memory gaps about the play, the score, or the morning
  • Slow response to simple questions
  • Headache, nausea without vomiting
  • Feeling “off” or “fuzzy”

Any of these means concussion is on the table. The kid is out.

Five. Notify the parent. Within minutes. The parent comes to the field if not already there. Do not let the kid drive home.

Six. Send the kid home with a responsible adult. The rest of the day is quiet rest. No screens, no driving, no homework that requires concentration, no practice. Sleep is fine; waking the kid every hour is no longer recommended unless red flags appear.

Seven. Schedule a pediatrician or sports-medicine visit within 24 to 48 hours. The visit is for evaluation and to start the return-to-learn and return-to-play conversation. The clinician documents the suspected concussion and the next steps.

Eight. No return to play without written clearance. Every state has a youth-sports concussion law. All require written clearance from a licensed health care provider before return. The specific provider type varies by state. The Concussion Legacy Foundation maintains a state-by-state map.

The CDC return-to-play progression is six steps: light aerobic, sport-specific exercise, non-contact drills, full-contact practice, return to game. Each step is at least 24 hours. If symptoms come back at any step, drop to the previous step.

The thing parents miss most. The kid who feels “almost back” at day three is not back. The recovery curve is not linear. A second hit during the symptomatic window does massively more damage than the first one did. Two extra days of rest cost nothing. The cost of being wrong about it is real.

For coaches. Document the suspected concussion in writing the same day. Email the parent and the team manager. The paper trail matters if return-to-play decisions get contested later.

For parents. Trust the dazed look. Do not let your kid talk you out of it. Do not let the coach talk you out of it. The brain is the one organ that does not get a do-over.