ZURICH/DOHA: FIFA will trial additional permanent substitutions for concussion at the Club World Cup in Qatar from February 1 to 11.

Rules and regulations for testing the use of concussion substitutes were approved last month at annual business meeting of the law-making International Football Association Board.

This followed increasing concern that health concerns were being ignored by team coaches and managers in the case of players injured in a clash of heads.

A FIFA statement said permission for concussion substitutes had been authorised to:

1, send a strong message that, if in any doubt, the player should be withdrawn;
2, prevent a player sustaining another concussion during the match, as multiple head-injury incidents can have very serious consequences;
3, reduce the pressure on medical personnel to make a quick assessment; and
4, establishing a simple procedure that can be applied at all levels of the game.

Each team in Qatar will be permitted to use a maximum of one concussion substitute in a match, regardless of the number of substitutes already used.

Teams at the Club World Cup will be allowed to make up to five normal substitutions per game. To avoid disruption to the game, each team will only have three opportunities to make substitutions; substitutions may also be made at half-time.

Competing clubs will be: Al Ahly (Egypt, Africa), Al Duhali (Qatar, host), Auckland City (New Zealand, Oeania), Bayern Munich (Germany, UEFA), Tigres UNAL (Mexico, Central and North America) and Ulsan Hyundai (S Korea, Asia). The South American champions have yet to be decided.

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