CNN –
The National Football League and the NFL Players Association agreed Saturday to update the league’s concussion protocol.
The decision follows a review of the response to Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s injury on Sept. 25. Tagovailoa suffered an apparent head injury and was later cleared to return to the game. Tagovailoa, 24, was later hospitalized with a concussion.
The league and union jointly announced the results of the review Saturday.
Under the new protocols, players will not be able to compete if they suffer from ataxia, which describes a lack of coordination caused by poor muscle control.
The joint announcement describes the conclusion and results of its review of Tagovailoa’s injury as follows:
“While the investigation determined that the team’s medical staff and nonaffiliated medical professionals followed the steps of the Protocol as written, the NFL and the NFLPA agree that the outcome in this case is not what was intended when the protocols were drawn up”.
“As such, as has been done in previous cases, based on the advice of the respective medical experts of the parties, the Protocol will be modified to improve the safety of the players. Specifically, the term “ataxia” has been added to the mandatory “no-go” symptoms. “Ataxia” is defined as an abnormality of balance/stability, motor coordination, or dysfunctional speech caused by a neurological problem.
“In other words, if a player is diagnosed with ‘ataxia’ by any club or neutral physician involved in the application of the Concussion Protocol, he will be prohibited from returning to the game and will receive the follow-up care required by the Protocol.”
Tagovailoa was briefly knocked out during the second quarter of the Sept. 25 game against the Buffalo Bills. The Dolphins announced he was questionable to return to the game with a head injury, and he returned to the field in the third quarter.
Then on Thursday, he returned to the field when the Dolphins played the Cincinnati Bengals. He was sacked by Bengals defensive lineman Josh Tupou and taken off the field on a stretcher and hospitalized.
The incident prompted the NFL to reevaluate its concussion protocols and provide stricter evaluation of players who suffer apparent head injuries.
The statement concludes that Tagovailoa’s instability, however, was not due to a head injury but to a back injury.