Hockey WA is committed to ensuring the safety and welfare of all participants of our sport. This is why we ask all of our members, both playing and non-playing, to understand what to do when a player has a suspected concussion.

Hockey WA has recently adopted Hockey Australia’s Concussion Policy. Clubs and members need to be aware of the policy and understand the requirements regarding game-day concussion management, reporting, and timelines for return to play. This is essential to ensure our players' well-being and safeguard our sport.

The guidelines below outline what you, your team, and your club must do when a player has a suspected concussion from playing our sport.

Game Day Concussion Management

The most important steps in the early management of concussion include:

• Recognising the injury may be a concussion or suspected concussion;

• Removing the player from play or training; and

• Referring the player to a medical professional.

Recognise & Remove

Any player(s) must be removed from play or training immediately if safe to do so and not return to play or training if any of the following symptoms are present:

Loss of consciousness

Dazed, blank or vacant stare

No protective action in falling to the ground

Behaviour change atypical of player

Seizure/convulsion or lying rigid/motionless due to muscle spasm

Confusion or disorientation

Motor incoordination

Memory impairment

Any player(s) must be removed from play or training immediately if safe to do so for further assessment if any of the following symptoms are present:

Possible occurrence of any of the clinical features listed above

Facial or head injury

Lying motionless for over two seconds

Balance problems/dizziness

Headache

Nausea

Blurred vision

Any other features that the player is ‘not quite right’

Stop

Umpires should stop the game immediately if they observe any of the above signs or symptoms or if a team official or spectator brings it to their attention. The player must be removed from the field of play.

The umpires are responsible for stopping the match if a player has an injury or a suspected concussion. However, they are not responsible for assessing players for injuries or concussions.

Under no circumstances should the removed player be allowed to return to play, training or activity on the same day unless a medical professional clears them of concussion.

Remove

A club representative must remove the player with the suspected concussion from the field. Under no circumstances should the removed player be allowed to return to play, training or activity on the same day unless a medical professional clears them of concussion.

Red Flags

If there are any red flags, e.g., loss of consciousness, neck pain, vomiting, or worsening symptoms, ensure that a club representative calls an ambulance or that the player is taken to the emergency department.

Please refer to the Concussion Management Workflow in all instances.

Reporting

All suspected concussion incidents must be reported to Hockey Australia and Hockey WA. The player or the relevant official handling the situation must fill in a Concussion Report Form and email it to concussion@hockey.org.au.

Return To Play Timeline

The return-to-play guidelines for players with suspected concussions were updated in the new policy. Clubs and players must follow the timelines below if a player has a suspected concussion.

Players who are removed from training or playing due to a suspected concussion must not:

Resume training before 14 days from the date of suspected concussion (if free of symptoms at rest); and

Return to playing before 21 days from the date of the suspected concussion.

No one other than a medical practitioner can decide that it is ok for someone with a suspected concussion to resume participation on the same day. Parents, coaches or officials cannot make this call.

Please read the Hockey Australia Concussion Policy for all information on concussion management and reporting.

Other Resources

You may find it valuable to look at an online Sport-Related Concussion Short Course put together by Connectivity. This 15-minute interactive course educates coaches, umpires, staff, volunteers, parents, and other interested people on recognising and managing a sport-related concussion injury. The course is self-paced, so you can complete it anytime. You may choose to take a further 40 minutes to listen to the stories of people with a lived experience of concussion in a sporting context.

“Playing Up” Policy

“Playing Up” means a junior player playing for a team of an older age group. This policy is designed to ensure consistent and safe management of this practice across the club and is divided into two components: 

1. Juniors Playing Up for Junior Teams: The emphasis is on equity, inclusivity, and player development.

2. Juniors Playing Up for Senior Teams: A more competitive approach is applied with the focus being on fielding a competitive team. 

Juniors Playing Up for Junior Teams

1. Invitation Based on Player Shortage:

Players are to "Play Up" only when there is a player or substitute shortage in a team.

2. Priority of Registered Age Group:

Players registered in their age group will have priority for playing time. "Playing Up" won't come at the expense of the game time of regular team members.

3. Expectation of Reduced Game Time:

Players who are “Playing Up” should expect less game time compared to regular team members, regardless of skill level. Parents of kids playing up should be informed of this to manage expectations.

4. Fair Distribution of Playing Up Opportunities:

“Playing Up” opportunities will be fairly distributed among all eligible players. If there is an ongoing shortage in a team, players from the younger team will be invited to join a “Playing Up” pool. Players in this pool will be rostered in a fair and equitable rotation. 

5. Managing Pool Numbers:

To keep pool numbers manageable, consider initially inviting only the oldest players of the younger team to join the pool (eg. year 8s for year 9-12 pool). If more players are needed, then the next youngest can be invited (eg. year 7s) and so on.  

6. Year 5s Prioritised for 6-8s

Year 5 players will be prioritized for playing up in 6-8 teams. This provides them with early exposure to the full-field competition they will transition to the following year.

7. Finals 4 Game Requirement:

To qualify for the finals, players must play a minimum of 4 games. If younger players may be needed for the finals in an older team, managers and coaches should ensure they have played at least 4 games beforehand.

8. Goalkeeper Exception:

A child can play up if they want to play goalkeeper and no-one in the team wants that role, irrespective of team numbers. 

Juniors Playing Up for Senior Teams

A more competitive approach is applied and players are selected based on merit with factors such as ability, development potential, discipline, commitment, and training attendance considered.

Applicable to Both Junior and Senior Teams

Player Safety:

Player safety is paramount. If there is a significant discrepancy in age, size, or skill that could risk player safety, those players should not play up. Parents, coaches, and managers must prioritize safety at all times.

Note: Busselton Hockey Assoc By-Law 6.2.1 

The minimum age for a player wishing to play in senior grades shall be twelve (12) years old as at January 1st, in that current hockey season.  Clubs wishing to play younger players must apply to the Board of Directors in writing for special dispensation.

Coaching Decisions:

Coaches, or their delegates (such as the team captain in their absence) make the final decisions regarding playing up matters. They can refer to the head coach for support in making these decisions.

1. Introduction

Hockey Australia has a responsibility to take a positive leadership role in educating and increasing the awareness of its participants towards the dangers of physical activity in the heat and during extreme weather conditions. With this in mind, the Hockey Australia Extreme Weather Guidelines have been developed which reinforce the guidelines produced by Sports Medicine Australia.

It should be noted that these are purely guidelines.
The guidelines should be considered for all participants involved in hockey, including players, officials,

umpires, coaches, parents, volunteers, staff and spectators.

Extreme Weather Guidelines