The AFL has confirmed any player concussed during the upcoming AFL and AFLW seasons will be forced to miss a minimum of one game.
Concussion has been in the spotlight in recent days as a result of Shane Tuck’s CTE diagnosis, which was made public over the weekend.
Under the new protocols, players will be sidelined for a minimum of 12 days and could miss more than a game if symptoms persist.
It marks a dramatic shift in concussion protocols, which previously saw players miss a minimum of six days before returning to play.
AFL General Counsel Andrew Dillon said the increased time of the sidelines highlighted the seriousness in which the League was taking concussion.
“The updated concussion guidelines represent a significant step in the AFL’s existing record of ongoing improvements to its concussion management strategy that reflect medical research and other learnings over time,” he said in a statement.
“The reality is we play a contact sport and there is always going to be risk, however over recent years we have continued to take action to strengthen match-day protocols and amend the Laws of the Game to discourage high contact.
“We also have used the technology that is embedded in the AFL ARC to provide another opportunity to identify potential concussive incidents that would not have otherwise been detected.
“The updated guidelines are the most stringent concussion protocols in Australian sport and we are committed to continuing to take action to protect the safety of players at all levels of the game.”
The new protocols were released ahead of Thursday night’s AFLW opener between Carlton and Collingwood at Ikon Park.