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.
Per Attachment 36 of the 2016-2021 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 the player’s injury is assessed.
- A Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) can evaluate and treat a player during a game.
- 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.
- Player completes the SCAT3 form in the clubhouse. If the player seems to not have sustained a concussion, he can return the game. The ATC can then evaluate the player periodically during the remainder of the game. 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 10-day disabled list.
- If a player on a 7-day concussion DL is still unable to return to play after nine days, he is automatically transferred to a 10-day DL.
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. For more information about the history of the SCAT form, see my post: 7 Must-Have Forms for Concussion Recovery.
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.
Placement on the 7-Day Disabled 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
2017 – 2021 Basic Agreement (MLB) See Attachment 36 on page 258
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.