Professional referees' knowledge of the FIFA Medical Concussion Protocol and their experiences with concussions during match-play

Objectives This cross-sectional online self-administered survey aimed to investigate professional referees' experiences of concussion during match-play, and their knowledge of the then-current pre-2022 FIFA Medical Concussion Protocol. Methods A 25-question survey was emailed to 200 FIFA-accredited referees, with 83 completed responses being returned. Results 75% of referees correctly answered five basic questions pertaining to the Concussion Protocol, but only 52% perceived that their concussion knowledge was appropriate, with 28% of referees reported attending structured education on concussion. Interest in learning more about concussions was high, 95%. Conclusions Concussion education tailored to future and current referees should be considered a priority.
© Copyright 2026 Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. Elsevier. All rights reserved.

Bibliographic Details
Subjects:
Notations:sport games biological and medical sciences
Tagging:FIFA Gehirnerschütterung
Published in:Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport
Language:English
Published: 2026
Document types:article
Level:advanced