The thought of high school football conjures up memories of past gridiron conquests and the chance to catch up with childhood friends at Homecoming, now that San Diego teens are again strapping up their chinstraps for another season. At an early age, football players are taught the importance of adopting a warrior-mentally to overcome pain and adversity on the field. But times are changing. That attitude has become passé. No longer can an on-field collision be classified as “getting your bell rung” because of the heightening awareness of concussions that has trickled down from the NFL all the way to high school campuses. California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) passed a new rule this summer involving the handling of this specific injury in game competition. The new protocol calls for a referee to remove a player who has sustained a concussion or head injury for the remainder of that game. That player cannot return to practice or games until they have been evaluated and cleared by a licensed medical professional trained in concussion management. Independent medical studies have shown that teenagers are more susceptible to concussions and often take longer to recover from them. Local high school coaches fear the wording of this rule will put more pressure on the game officials to make judgment calls without having the correct training to diagnose concussion-like symptoms in players. But Joel Allen, interim athletic director and head football coach at The Bishop’s School has a different opinion. “It’s a good rule because the spirit pertains to maintaining the safety of players on the field,” Allen said. “We play sports in a different era. Off-season training programs have become a year-round process. It’s our responsibility as coaches to evolve with the ever-growing changes that take place in the game.” CIF officials feel the rule is more stringent, but the symptoms must be clear and obvious before a player can be removed from the game. Referees will have the opportunity to confer with a team’s trainers before making their final decision. “When the rule was first proposed, the language was debated heavily and then finally embraced by everyone involved,” said Bill McLaughlin, CIF San Diego Section assistant commissioner. Society may still be grasping the magnitude of this type of injury, but CIF officials hope to have concussion-management training in place for their referees in the off-season. Due to budget constraints, some high schools cannot afford a full-time trainer on their athletic staff, which is imperative in diagnosing and treating a concussion injury. “The hope is to have a doctor right next to our officials, and hopefully they act together in good faith on deciding whether or not a player will continue to play in the game,” McLaughlin said. Working at a private school, Allen recognizes that having full-time medical personnel on staff is a luxury, especially during tough economic times. He said he is also thankful this rule is not limited to just contact sports. CIF acknowledges that all sports will be scrutinized under this rule, with heavy attention placed on collision sports (lacrosse and soccer) that are played at a high rate of speed, putting players at risk of sustaining a concussion. Prior to the start of the football season, two concussion-related incidents had already been reported to CIF officials by the injured player’s coaching staff.