Concussion Checklist for Coaches

Before the season

• Complete your state-mandated concussion training
• Confirm every athlete has a baseline test on file
• Know your athletic trainer’s contact information
• Distribute concussion fact sheets to athletes and parents

Sideline signs to watch for

• Appears dazed, stunned, or confused
• Forgets plays or instructions
• Moves clumsily or unsteadily
• Answers questions slowly
• Loses consciousness (even briefly)
• Shows behavioral changes or personality changes
• Reports headache, nausea, dizziness, or sensitivity to light

When you suspect a concussion

• Remove from play immediately. No exceptions, no “walk it off.”
• Refer the athlete to the athletic trainer or team physician
• Notify the athlete’s parent or guardian
• Document the incident — time, mechanism, signs observed
• Do not allow return to play the same day. Period.

Your legal responsibilities

Every US state has a concussion law. Most require that coaches remove athletes with suspected concussions, that those athletes be evaluated by a qualified clinician, and that they complete a formal return-to-play process before resuming contact. Failing to follow this protocol exposes you, your program, and your school to legal liability — and more importantly, it exposes the athlete to catastrophic injury if they return too early.

Before allowing return

• Written clearance from a qualified clinician
• Confirmation the athlete has completed the graduated return-to-play protocol
• Athlete is back to their baseline on any objective tests