The New Jersey entity that regulates high school athletics in state Monday introduced a set of rules that mandate that athletes who sustain head injuries must undergo a series of tests before being able to return to the field to play.
The story got significant play in the state’s primary newspaper, The Star-Ledger of Newark, which ran it on Page One. http://blog.nj.com/hssportsextra/2010/03/njsiaa_sets_guidelines_for_dea.html
If the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) approves the new measures, there would be a standard set of regulations to treat concussions for athletes in every single sport, according to The Ledger.
One of the new regulations is that players who sustain a concussion or head injury must show no symptoms or problems for a week before they can play again.
They must also do a six-step regimen where they gradually do aerobic exercise and get the OK of a medical professional to play again.
Trainers, student athletes and coaches will receive annual training on concussions, including their symptoms.
Those are some, but not all, of the requirements under the new NJSIAA guidelines. That body oversees athletic programs at 434 high schools in the Garden State.