There are some existing guidelines for prevention and management of concussions in baseball. Here are some for MLB and Little League.
MLB
The MLB concussion protocol was established in 2011. It established a 7-day concussion disabled list (DL). The previous MLB Players Association bargaining agreement was renewed in late 2016. In that iteration of the agreement, the 15-day disabled list (DL) changed to a 10-day DL.
Note: each list is now referred to as the Injured List, not the Disabled List.
Per Attachment 36 of the 2022-2026 agreement:
- Players complete neurocognitive baseline testing during Spring training or when they join a Club.
- If a player sustains a concussion, or is suspected to, play is stopped and a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) assesses the player’s injury on the field.
- If the ATC deems it necessary, he or she can remove the player from the game and move to the clubhouse for further evaluation. The Team Physician may also evaluate the player in the clubhouse. They use the SCAT5 to assess the player’s injury.
- The Club Physician and ATC complete the Concussion-Specific Diagnostic Form.
- If the assessment determines that the player did not sustain a concussion, he can return the game. The ATC can then evaluate the player periodically between innings during the remainder of the game. If a change is noted, the player is to be removed from the game immediately and reassessed in the clubhouse. If the player is thought to have a concussion, the team, ATC, and Team Physician can determine whether to place the player on the 7-day or other injured list.
- A Club can request placement of a player on a 7-day Injured List for concussion. The Club must provide a Concussion-Specific Diagnostic Form. This is in lieu of the Standard Form of Diagnosis, which is used for other injuries.
- If a player on a 7-day concussion IL is still unable to return to play after seven days, he can be certified for an additional 7-day IL period.
- For a player to return to active status for any game in any league or in Spring Training, the Club must submit a Concussion Return to Play form and supporting documentation to the Medical Director of the Office of the Commissioner.
These are some main points in Attachment 36. For details, review the attachment in the CBA.
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Note 3/28/19: The current version of the SCAT form is the SCAT5. I don’t know at this point if they’re using the SCAT3 or current version. I would assume they update when new versions of the form are put in use.
Note 6/16/22: The SCAT form is updated following the International Consensus Conference on Concussion in Sport. It’s normally held every four years. It was last scheduled for 2020, but was eventually delayed to October 22 of this year and will be held in Amsterdam.
Note 6/16/22: A new CBA was agreed upon earlier this year. There is a list of updated items on the MLB Players Association website, but the CBA is not yet posted as of this date. The only item I see with regard to medical issues is the following: “Best-in-class medical benefits for Players and their families.” I see no concussion-specific item listed, so assume the requirements from the earlier CBA remain in effect.
Note 3/28/26: The current CBA is expiring this year. List titles changed after the 2018 season. Each is now referred as the Injured List, not the Disabled List. I’ve made changes on this post accordingly to reflect that change where appropriate. The 2022-2026 CBA uses the SCAT5 form.
Placement on the 7-Day Injured List
The 7-day agreement is established for acute concussions. There is a concussion-specific form that must be completed and submitted to both the Office of the Commissioner and the Players Association.
See also:
Players Achieve Key Objectives in New Basic Agreement MLB Players Association, March 10, 2022
2022 – 2026 Basic Agreement (MLB) See Attachment 36
Definition: 7-Day Injured List (MLB)
Analyzing MLB’s Concussion Policy (ESPN 2011)
Little League
The umbrella Little League baseball organization requires that individual leagues and teams take responsibility for concussion prevention. The organization directs teams to follow laws and undergo training. To facilitate that, they’ve pulled together links to the laws for all states and to training materials. Here’s the link to their concussion page:
Little League also implemented ASAP (A Safety Awareness Program). There is a great deal of information available that explains league requirements. If you’re interested in safety requirements for baseball, take a look at this section of the Little League website:
USA Baseball
Update 6/16/22: Previous versions of this post included references to materials from USA Baseball. Those are no longer available at the previous address, but I’ll keep checking.