The thought of high school football conjures up memories of past gridiron conquests and the chance of catching up with childhood friends as San Diego County teens once again strapped up their chinstraps this season. From an early age, football players are taught the importance of adopting a warrior mentality to overcome pain and adversity on the field. But times are changing, and that attitude has become passé. No longer can an on-field collision be classified as “getting your bell rung,” because of the heightened awareness of concussions that has trickled down from the NFL all the way to high school campuses. The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) passed a new rule last summer involving the handling of this specific injury in game-competition. The new protocol calls for a referee to remove a player who has suffered a concussion or head injury for the remainder of that game. That player cannot return to practice or game-competition until they have been evaluated and cleared by a licensed medical professional trained in concussion management. Independent medical studies have shown 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. “It’s a well-intended but misguided rule,” said Willie Matson, Mission Bay High head football coach. “The CIF has transferred the entire responsibility of enforcing this rule to the officials. They will and should act on the side of caution every time for the health and well-being of the player in question.” CIF officials feel the rule is effective, however, because the symptoms must be clear and obvious before a player can be removed from the game. Referees will have the opportunity to confer with 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 not grasp 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 staffs, 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. CIF officials acknowledge that all sports will be scrutinized under this rule, with heavy attention placed on collision sports (lacrosse and soccer) played at a high rate of speed, which puts players at a risk of sustaining a concussion. Prior to the start of the football season, two concussion-related incidents had already been reported to CIF by the injured player’s coaching staff.