In a move demonstrating its increasing concern for player safety, the NFL today announced that it will employ more stringent standards for return-to-play rules after a player suffers a concussion.

The stricter, more specific policy was developed by the league's medical committee on concussions with the help of individual team doctors, independent medical experts and the NFL Players Association in order to clarify the 2007 policy, which stated that team physicians and athletic trainers should "continue to take a conservative approach to treating concussions" and "a player should not return to the same game after a concussion if the team medical staff determined that he had lost consciousness," according to the NFL's press release.

The '09 policy states that a player who suffers a concussion should not return to a game or practice on the same day "until he is fully asymptomatic, both at rest and after exertion, has a normal neurological examination, normal neuropsychological testing and has been cleared to return by both his team physician(s) and the independent neurological consultant." Based on the statement, the following signs of a concussion are grounds to hold a player out of same-day practice or game situations:

• Loss of consciousness
• Confusion as evidenced by disorientation to person, time or place; inability to respond appropriately to questions; or inability to remember assignments or plays
• Amnesia as evidenced by a gap in memory for events occurring just prior to the injury; inability to learn and retain new information; or a gap in memory for events that occurred after the injury
• Abnormal neurological examination, such as abnormal pupillary response, persistent dizziness or vertigo, or abnormal balance on sideline testing
• New and persistent headache, particularly if accompanied by photosensitivity, nausea, vomiting or dizziness
• Any other persistent signs or symptons of concussions

The new policy also addresses the players' responsibilities in ensuring their cognitive well-being:

"A critical element of managing concussions is candid reporting by players of their symptoms following an injury. Accordingly, players are to be encouraged to be candid with team medical staffs and fully disclose any signs or symptoms that may be associated with a concussion."

Commissioner Roger Goodell also underlined the league's burgeoning commitment to player safety while explaining the purpose for the change in return-to-play policy.

"The evidence demonstrates that team medical staffs have been addressing concussions in an increasingly cautious and conservative way," Goodell said in a memo to the 32 NFL teams. "This new return-to-play statement reinforces our commitment to advancing player safety. Along with improved equipment, better education and rules changes designed to reduce impacts to the head, it will make our game safer for the men who play it, and set an important example for players at all levels of play."