Concussion Management for the General Public

Pocket Concussion Recognition Tool

Recognising concussion

If any of the following signs or symptoms are present following an injury the player should be suspected of having a concussion and immediately removed from play or training.

Visible clues of concussion - what you see

Any one or more of the following visual clues can indicate a concussion:

  • Dazed, blank or vacant look
  • Lying motionless on ground / slow to get up
  • Unsteady on feet / balance problems or falling over / incoordination
  • Loss of consciousness or responsiveness
  • Confused / not aware of plays or events
  • Grabbing / clutching of head
  • Seizure (fits)
  • More emotional / irritable than normal for that person
Symptoms of concussion - what you are told

Presence of any one or more of the following signs and symptoms may suggest a concussion:

  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Mental clouding, confusion, or feeling slowed down
  • Visual problems
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Fatigue
  • Drowsiness / feeling like “in a fog“ / difficulty concentrating
  • “Pressure in head”
  • Sensitivity to light or noise

The Pocket Concussion Recognition Tool™ (Pocket CRT), developed by the Zurich Concussion Consensus Group, acts as a reminder of the signs and symptoms of concussion. Download the Pocket CRT as a printable Adobe PDF file

 

Memory function

'Maddocks' questions

Page 2 of the Pocket Concussion Recognition Tool lists the five ‘Maddocks’ questions for use in assessing the player’s memory function immediately after the injury event.

Recognise and remove

If any of the signs or symptoms listed on page 1 of the Pocket Concussion Recognition Tool are identified

and/or

the player fails to answer correctly the five memory questions on page 2 of the Pocket Concussion Recognition Tool

then the player MUST be removed from the field of play for a comprehensive medical evaluation.

 

Fellow players, coaches, match officials, team managers, administrators or parents who observe an injured player displaying any of the signs in the Pocket Concussion Recognition Tool after an injury event with the potential to cause a head injury or concussion MUST do their best to ensure that the player is removed from the field of play in a safe manner.

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