UEFA’s new medical standard for all its competitions

The UEFA It has just updated some aspects of the medical program with the aim of further improving the health care of the players as well as other actors in a football match. A regulation enacted on Monday, July 1, in accordance with its Executive Committee approval in December of last year in Montreal and adopted with some minor changes to the last made on May 10.

This change establishes that from now on is the ECG of the effort, known as the electrocardiogram, which is a test that allows measuring the electrical activity of the heart over a period of time and is primarily used to detect heart disease, is no longer mandatory but recommended. However, echocardiography, which is a diagnostic test that uses ultrasound waves to create an image of the heart muscle and show any abnormalities, is still mandatory every two years. A standard electrocardiogram (ECG) is also mandatory each year.

Requires minimum medical requirements from UEFA in all clubs

All clubs participating in UEFA competitions must meet the minimum medical requirement known as the MMR. Starting since the

The doctor in the emergency room at the foot of the lawn should be a doctor trained to provide ALS (Advance Life Support) treatment, as well as to identify and manage life -threatening conditions.

An ALS treatment that, as stated in both regulations, consists of an ambulance equipped to provide the highest possible level of emergency medical care. At a minimum, the ambulance should have adequate equipment for resuscitation, as well as equipment to handle life -threatening situations. This ambulance must be present both at matches and at the training sessions of all club competitions. UEFA as in the final stages of national teams, starting with the upcoming European Women’s Championship. This should be from an hour and a half before the meeting starts to half an hour after it.

The emergency doctor on the pitch

He has been a key figure in UEFA competition matches as well as in official training sessions for all club competitions and national team finals.

You must have good knowledge of English or you must speak the language of the fight team. Performs coordination work consisting of:

1.- make sure the necessary medical team is present on the playing field

2.- responsible for the emergency treatment of players, team officials, the referee, team officials

3.- You must arrive at the stadium/hall with sufficient time to prepare the equipment and medical services so that they are available and usable from the time the teams arrive at the venue until their departure

4.- You must know the medical plan of the stadium and the local medical infrastructure;

5.- You should be familiar before the game or training session with the equipment provided, such as defibrillator and airways and breathing equipment.

The on-field emergency physician function can be performed by the home team physician in exceptional cases, provided the home team physician is trained to work with ALS treatment as well as to identify and manage their life-threatening conditions.

A demanding catalog of tests for all football players

All associations and host clubs must comply with the obligations set forth by these regulations during 2022/23, as well as ensure that they meet these minimum medical requirements. Failure to do so may lead to disciplinary penalties.

All players must possess a complete and updated medical history at least annually, in addition to an annual general physical examination, which must cover all relevant medical organs and functioning systems. And this affects all competitions organized by UEFA, starting with the upcoming European Women’s Championship.

In addition, a baseline neurological examination of brain function as well as a comprehensive laboratory examination must also be performed annually with the knowledge and consent of the player and in accordance with national law. Also on an annual basis, a complete orthopedic examination should be performed annually, which includes functional examinations of the complete musculoskeletal system. Every two, as we explained previously, stress ECG every two years. All examinations and tests must be completed before the season begins and recorded in the medical record of the match official. UEFA may at any time request to provide the results of such medical examinations or tests.

In addition, each team must bring its own emergency medical kit, including a defibrillator, for all UEFA competitions, matches and training sessions.

Field emergency report

UEFA decided to develop an emergency report in the field, which includes a medical team, to raise awareness of the medical team at the site. Responsibility of the medical director of the host team, or

equivalent officer, view the briefing before each against other personal medical staff and define the duties of each member of the medical team. The form must be properly filled out before each match and clearly displayed within the player’s medical room. must be seen

to the Party Delegate during minimum medical necessities inspections. In addition, in all UEFA finals and final tournaments, the emergency briefing will be conducted on the pitch of the UEFA headquarters medical officer. Scenarios such as sudden cardiac arrest and spinal cord injuries will be thoroughly discussed to ensure that the duties of everyone involved (doctors, ambulance staff, stretcher teams and participating team doctors etc. are met. ) is clearly defined.

concussion chart

In 2019, UEFA launched a concussion awareness campaign for players, coaches, referees, doctors and the general public about the risks of concussion in football.

A concussion letter has now been made and must be signed by a representative of the club/national team, the coach and the doctor of the team participating in UEFA competitions next season. The goal is to reinforce the importance of good concussion management practices and for all teams.

Commit to supporting and implementing the guidelines outlined in the letter.

Every member of your team should know what to do in case there is a suspected concussion in the field.

–