The use of electronic communication systems by soccer medical staff in the technical area, for the limited purpose of assessing potential injuries with the help of medical data and video material, was approved Friday at the International Football Association Board’s annual meeting.
The board that determines the laws of soccer made the decision in the interest of player safety and welfare after having considered how electronic devices — tablet computers, for example — could help assess players for serious injuries such as concussions and would enable them to receive proper treatment.
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“We understand from scientific research and other sports that have introduced it that if you have a much better assessment of the injury, it might be possible, when you see the intensity and the point of contact, to evaluate potential concussions better,” IFAB secretary Lukas Brud told the Associated Press in November.
“We have seen enough examples where potentially if the doctor was able to use video he might have made a decision not to put a player back on the field.”