The use of
concussion substitutes will be attempted in the upcoming Club World Cup in Qatar
in February, 2021, international football controlling body FIFA said on Friday,
reported AFP.

FIFA said it would “trial
additional permanent substitutions for cases of actual or suspected
concussion”, as per AFP, during the competition scheduled in Qatar between
February 1 and February 11.

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Reportedly, this is
the first time for concussion substitutes to be allowed in an international
competition.

With the teams
being allowed one concussion substitute per match, the substitution, however,
would be accounted for within the team’s normal maximum of five changes.

Stating it would like
to reduce “pressure on medical personnel to make a quick assessment”,
FIFA said that the move sent the strong message that in case of any doubt, a
player should be withdrawn.

Experimentations
with the conventions of the game were permitted by International Football
Association Board (IFAB), the governing body for the laws of the game, in
December, 2020.

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The IFAB, in order
to decrease chances of a second injury, brought forward changes which would
allow for a permanent change in a game, rather than a temporary change as seen
in sports like rugby, wherein many players suffer from dementia later in life.

Among popular domestic
leagues in the world, the English Premier League announced that it would allow for
permanent concussion substitutes from January, going a step further and allowing
two per team.