NFHS Safety Regulations & Compliance 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The NFHS concussion policy requires that an athlete suspected of having a concussion be removed from play and not return during which timeframe?
- The same practice session or game (Correct answer)
- The same day of injury only
- The same week of injury
- Until the next scheduled physician appointment
Correct answer: The same practice session or game
The NFHS 'when in doubt, sit them out' policy requires removal for the remainder of the same practice or game in which the suspected concussion occurred.
Question 2: Which federal law, while not exclusively a concussion law, creates obligations for schools to address concussions in student-athletes with disabilities under Section 504 plans?
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
- Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Correct answer)
- Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Correct answer: Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 can require schools to provide academic and athletic accommodations for students whose concussion symptoms qualify as a disability.
Question 3: A transfer student-athlete arrives with a history of concussions from a previous school. Under compliance best practices, the new school should:
- Start the student fresh with no assumed restrictions
- Obtain and review the prior concussion records before clearing for participation (Correct answer)
- Require the student to complete a new baseline test before any records are reviewed
- Allow full participation until symptoms appear
Correct answer: Obtain and review the prior concussion records before clearing for participation
Prior concussion history is medically significant; obtaining records from the previous school ensures informed clearance decisions.
Question 4: Under NFHS guidelines, a return-to-learn protocol should be coordinated by:
- The head coach and athletic director only
- School medical staff in collaboration with academic staff (Correct answer)
- Parents and the student alone
- Only the treating physician outside the school
Correct answer: School medical staff in collaboration with academic staff
Return-to-learn requires collaboration between school medical staff and academic staff to gradually reintroduce cognitive demands alongside physical recovery.
Question 5: When a state's concussion law conflicts with NFHS guidelines by being MORE restrictive, schools must follow:
- NFHS guidelines, as they are the national standard
- The less restrictive standard to avoid burdening families
- The state law, as it takes legal precedence (Correct answer)
- Whichever standard the school's insurance carrier recommends
Correct answer: The state law, as it takes legal precedence
State law is legally binding and always supersedes organizational guidelines when it is more restrictive.
Question 6: Which scenario represents a compliance VIOLATION of NFHS concussion return-to-play requirements?
- An athlete cleared by a physician after completing all RTP steps
- An asymptomatic athlete allowed to begin Step 2 of RTP the day after injury (Correct answer)
- A coach contacting the team physician to discuss an athlete's readiness
- A parent receiving written notice of the concussion protocol steps
Correct answer: An asymptomatic athlete allowed to begin Step 2 of RTP the day after injury
Step 1 (complete rest until asymptomatic) must be fully completed before progressing, and no RTP steps should begin the day after injury without full symptom resolution and physician guidance.
Question 7: A school's concussion policy was last updated five years ago and does not reflect current state law revisions. The school is:
- In compliance because policies only need updating every ten years
- Potentially non-compliant and should update the policy immediately (Correct answer)
- Protected from liability by the older policy's grandfather clause
- Compliant if no concussions have occurred since the law changed
Correct answer: Potentially non-compliant and should update the policy immediately
Policies must reflect current law; failure to update after legislative changes can expose the school to legal liability.
NFHS Safety Regulations & Compliance 3
The NFHS concussion policy requires that an athlete suspected of having a concussion be removed from play and not return during which timeframe?