Netball Australia has the toughest concussion rules in Australian sport and it’s vital for women

Netball may technically be a non-contact sport but that hasn’t stopped it from honing its protocols around concussion, a move essential for female athletes.

Netball may technically be a non-contact sport but that hasn’t stopped it from honing its protocols around concussion - something that came sharply into view in the opening Super Netball round last week.

When umpire Josh Bowring decided to call time in the grand final rematch between the Vixens and Fever after an accidental clash between Melbourne defender Emily Mannix and West Coast midcourter Verity Simmons, it seemed an eminently sensible decision.

Mannix had her head lowered in a bid to pick up a loose ball and crashed to the court after being involved in an accidental clash with the Fever’s Verity Simmons.

Slow to rise, she was ordered off the court to be assessed first by the primary carer from her club, then by the match-day doctor before being allowed back on to the court minutes later when no issue was found.

Mannix was not unconscious, nor was there any obvious facial trauma.

But given she was clutching at her head and slow to rise after the incident, the umpire’s independent decision to stop the game was in line with Netball Australia (NA) protocols and a straight out good call.

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Thankfully, Mannix suffered no ill effects from the incident and is likely to be cleared by the Vixens’ high performance staff to play at the weekend.

Had she suffered a concussion, she would have been subject to some of the toughest regulations in Australian sport.

In a week in which concussion has dominated national sporting headlines, particularly across the men’s football codes, it’s important to remember that women can often suffer concussion more easily and take longer to recover from head knocks.

Protection of the head is paramount and there can be no abundance of caution.

Once, this may have been viewed as an unnecessary interruption to the flow of the game.

But netball, like most sports now, is well aware of its duty of care in these situations.

NA wrote to Super Netball clubs this week to provide context around the injury time-out in the Fever-Vixens game, saying the umpires, players and both clubs’ medical staff acted in accordance with rules of the game and NA’s guidelines for management of Sports Related Concussion.

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While it was the umpire that called the stoppage in this instance, it can also be done by a player - as it can for the presence of blood, or any other injury or illness.

The match day doctor can also independently call time for any head impact or possible concussion, through the reserve umpire, and remove any player from the court for assessment and management of concussion.

If a player is assessed under the Sport Related Concussion guidelines, they can only return to play once cleared by the match day doctor.

All Super Netball teams, players, umpires and medical staff were briefed on NA’s Sport Related Concussion guidelines before the season start.

“The response of all those involved reflects a heightened understanding and appreciation of the impact of concussion and head impact in netball,” a spokeswoman said.

The organisation’s Sport Related Concussion policy is constantly reviewed in line with evolving scientific evidence and adheres to the principles outlined in the most recent International Consensus Statement (5th International Conference on Concussion in Sport, Berlin 2016).

Further modifications may be made later this year when an updated consensus statement is made following the latest conference, held late last year.