The Premier League is dissatisfied with the International Football Association Board’s (IFAB) decision to reject the proposed trial of temporary concussion substitution.
IFAB, the lawmaking arm of FIFA, rejected the proposal at its annual conference in London last weekend.
The Professional Footballers’ Association, the Premier League, and English club doctors wrote separate letters to IFAB requesting the trial before the conference.
However, their request was denied, meaning that players suspected of having concussions or brain damage during a football game can only be permanently substituted.
According to Fifa President Gianni Infantino, the decision to forego the trial was made to prioritize player safety and ensure “zero danger” in such situations.
Furthermore, the FIFA president claimed that running two trials concurrently would not provide enough data to draw meaningful conclusions.
The Premier League, on the other hand, described the rejection as a disappointment in a statement released on Monday.
The statement read;
We cannot understand the basis for which it has not been approved.
We are disappointed that a temporary concussion substitute trial was not approved considering all available scientific evidence and the overwhelming support from Premier League club doctors.
While we note that a trial has not been dismissed, we remain convinced it should go ahead at the earliest possible opportunity in the interests of player welfare.