Concussion in Sport

What is a concussion?

Concussions are brain injuries that happen after a direct or indirect hit to the head. Concussions lead to many different symptoms reported by the injured athlete or sport participant, and by other observers.

In the case of a suspected concussion, the injured athlete or participant should be removed from play or sport and seek medical attention from a healthcare professional. Fortunately, most individuals recover in the initial 4 weeks after a concussion, although 15% to 30% of youth and adults may have symptoms that last longer.

Observable signs of a concussion:

• Lying motionless on the playing surface
• Slow to get up after a direct or indirect hit to the head
• Disorientation or confusion, or inability to respond appropriately to questions
• Unresponsive
• Unsteady on feet, balance problems, poor co-ordination, wobbly
• Blank or vacant stare
• Facial injury

Signs and symptoms of a concussion:

Physical Signs	Cognitive Signs	Emotional Signs	Sleep Related Signs
Neck pain	Memory problems	Feeling more emotional	Sleeping more or less than usual
Not feeling right	Problems concentrating	Nervous or anxious	Having a hard time falling asleep
Drowsiness	Feeling like “in a fog”	Sadness
Feeling tired or low energy	Feeling slowed down	Easily upset or angered
Balance problems	Not thinking clearly
Ringing in the ears
Sensitivity to light or sound
Blurred vision
Dizziness
Pressure in the head
Headache
Nausea or vomiting

In all suspected cases of concussion, the affected individual should stop participating in activity right away. Continuing activity increases the risk of more severe, longer-lasting concussion symptoms, as well as other injury. Anyone with a suspected concussion should be assessed by a medical doctor.

Red Flag Symptoms:

• Neck pain or tenderness
• Loss of vision or double vision
• Weakness or tingling in arms or legs
• Severe or increasing headache
• Seizure, ‘fits’, or convulsions
• Loss of consciousness (knocked out)
• Deteriorating conscious state
• Vomiting more than once
• Increasingly restless, agitated, or combative
• Increasing confusion
• Visible deformity of the skull

If any red flag symptoms are present, call an ambulance right away as these may be signs of a more serious injury.

Source: Parachute Canada, 2025

2025 National Concussion Awareness Week (September 21 – September 27, 2025)
The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation works collaboratively with the recreation and sport sectors and the Atlantic Concussion Collaborative Work Group to implement awareness activities during National Concussion Awareness Week. For more information tools and resources visit the websites below to assist your organization in preventing, managing, and detecting concussion in sport.

Resources:
Below are evidenced based tools and resources to support stakeholders in the awareness, prevention, detection, and management of concussion in sport.

Resources for the Recreation and Sport Sector:
Canadian Guideline on Concussion in Sport (Parachute Canada)
Concussion Protocol Resources for Sport Organizations (Parachute Canada)
Making Head Way Concussion eLearning Series (Coaching Association of Canada)
Concussion in Sport Infographic
Sport Mental Health Assessment Tool 1 – SMHAT-1
Sport Mental Health Recognition Tool 1 – SMHRT-1
Concussion Recognition Tool 6 (CRT6)
Concussion Guide for Adults 65+

Resources for the Health Sector:
Concussion Tools and Resources for Healthcare Professionals (Parachute Canada)
Child SCAT6 (for 8-12 year olds)
Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 6 (SCAT6) (For 13+)
Sport Concussion Office Assessment Tool (SCOAT6) (For 13+)
Living Guideline for Pediatric Concussion Care
Concussion in Early Childhood

Resources for the Education Sector:
Concussion Protocol Resources for Schools (Parachute Canada)

Provincial Organizations:
Sport NL

Additional Organizations:
Parachute Canada
Sport Information Resource Centre (SIRC)
Canadian Concussion Network
Government of Canada – Concussion in Sport and Recreation
CATT