LUQUE, Paraguay (AP) — Coaches at next month’s Copa América will be able to make a sixth and extra substitution in cases of suspected traumatic brain injury or concussion.
CONMEBOL, South American football’s governing body, announced the decision on Tuesday, making it valid for all its competitions as soon as the Copa América begins in the United States on June 20.
CONMEBOL issued a statement saying that coaches will need to notify the referee or 4th referee of the concussion substitution via a pink substitution pass. A similar method was implemented in Major League Soccer in 2021 as part of a FIFA pilot program.
The player who leaves the field in these conditions must go to the changing rooms or hospital for evaluation.
“Concussion substitution will occur regardless of the number of substitutions until the moment it happens,” CONMEBOL stated. “When a concussion substitution occurs, the opposing team may automatically make an additional substitution.”
Team doctors who detect a suspected concussion or head injury on the field will have up to 24 hours to submit a medical report to CONMEBOL, the South American body said.
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