At this summer's Copa America, pink cards will be used for substitutions due to concussion.
Tournament organizers and South American soccer's governing body CONMEBOL said the card would be used to allow a player diagnosed with a concussion to be substituted without using one of a team's allocated five substitutes.
CONMEBOL said if a player is believed to have suffered “craniocerebral injury and suspected concussion”, the team must inform the referee or fourth official and show a pink card indicating the substitute will not use a slot allocated in their clear protocol for substitutions due to concussion.
A maximum of one pink card may be issued per team per match, giving the opposing team “the option to use an additional substitute and an additional substitution opportunity.”
Any player diagnosed with a concussion will not be allowed to return to the game and will be escorted to the dressing room or medical center, if possible, for further treatment.
The team doctor must complete and submit a CONMEBOL Medical Commission form within 24 hours of the match, detailing the substitution due to concussion.
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The International Football Association Board (IFAB) approved concussion substitutions in March after successful trials in leagues such as the English Premier League.
Going deeper
Permanent concussion substitutions introduced into football rules
Concussion substitutions will become part of the Laws of the Game from 1 July 2024, but trials of temporary concussion substitutions – a measure sought by the Premier League and the Players' Association – were not approved by IFAB.
This year's Copa America will be held in the United States, kicking off on June 20th with the final taking place at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on July 14th.
(Top photo: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
