A player who was removed from the game for concussion symptoms may return to play when?

• A. May never return to play that day.
• B. May not return to play in that specific game.
• C. May return to play if cleared by an appropriate health-care professional.
• D. May return to play without being cleared if he has sat for an inning.

Answer: (C)

When a concussion is suspected, the athlete must be removed from play and may return only after being cleared by an appropriate health-care professional. This ensures the brain has recovered enough to handle the stresses of play and that there are no lingering symptoms or risks from returning too soon. The health-care professional assesses the situation, may use baseline or follow-up evaluations, and oversees a gradual return-to-play process that increases activity only as symptoms remain absent. This medical clearance requirement is the key factor in deciding when a player can safely come back. Other ideas, like returning without clearance or returning only after a delay without professional input, don’t provide the medically supervised protection that prevents further injury.