Recently the commissioner of the NFL released new guidelines for NFL players who have left games due to concussions. The NFL had been under pressure to respond to concerns that players were not ready to return to play so soon after suffering a concussion. A lot of attention has been on this issue especially because of Steelers’ receiver Hines Ward’s comments about his quarterback Ben Roethlisberger not returning to a game after receiving a concussion. Hines’ comments brought up the question of whether players were being expected to return when it was unhealthy for them. Previously players were not allowed to return during the same game if they lost consciousness. The players were also encouraged to be candid with medical staffs about symptoms and signs, although one fifth of players surveyed said that they played down symptoms so that they could return to the game. The new policy reads "Once removed for the duration of a practice or game, the player should not be considered for return-to-football activities until he is fully asymptotic, both at rest and after exertion, has a normal neurological examination, normal neuropsychological testing, and has been cleared to return by both his team physician(s) and the independent neurological consultant." Hopefully this will help the NFL and its players from the problems of repeated concussions. Whether it is strict enough or not is still being argued and time may tell as we see the effects of these new guidelines take affect during the next season. Article by Tyson Higgins References: http://www.consumerreports.org/health/home.htm Associated Press www.nfl.com