Concussion in netball: Perth guide
Reviewed November 2026 by Online Concussion Clinic, a Perth-based telehealth concussion physiotherapy service. How this site is run
Netball Australia's community and youth guidelines apply to club, association and school netball in Perth. Since 2024 netball has followed the same 21-day minimum as other Australian sports.
The rules at a glance
- No return that day. A player with a suspected concussion must not return to that match or training session.
- Get assessed early by a doctor or another appropriate health professional.
- 14 days symptom-free at rest before contact training, counted from when symptoms stop.
- Earliest return: day 21 after the concussion, and only after working through each stage of the return to play.
- Who can clear. Clearance for full training and competition must come from a doctor, or from a physiotherapist (or chiropractor) with concussion management skills who is registered with Ahpra.
- Under-19s are managed more cautiously, because children and teenagers take longer to recover.
The graded return to netball
Every player works through the same stages, moving up only when the current stage causes no new or worse symptoms. Each stage takes at least 24 hours.
- Relative rest for the first 24–48 hours, then light daily activity.
- Light aerobic exercise such as walking or an exercise bike, at an easy pace.
- Return to school or work without symptoms — this comes before return to sport.
- Running and individual skills, with no contact and no risk of a head knock.
- Non-contact team training at higher intensity.
- Full contact training — only after clearance (see above).
- Return to games, no earlier than the minimum timeframe for your sport.
If symptoms come back at any stage, drop back to the last stage that felt fine and try again after 24 hours. A physiotherapist or doctor with concussion training can guide this and adjust it for you.
Perth and WA clubs
Netball WA associations and clubs follow the Netball Australia community guidelines. Super Netball and national programs have a separate policy.
Call 000 or go to the nearest emergency department if there is:
- Loss of consciousness, or getting drowsier or harder to wake
- A seizure or convulsion
- Severe or worsening headache
- Repeated vomiting
- Neck pain or tenderness
- Double vision or loss of vision
- Weakness, tingling or burning in the arms or legs
- Increasing confusion, agitation, restlessness or unusual behaviour
- A visible deformity of the skull
For children, the emergency department at Perth Children's Hospital (Nedlands) is open 24 hours. If you're unsure, call healthdirect on 1800 022 222 (24 hours) for nurse advice.
Who can help in Perth
A doctor, or a physiotherapist with concussion training, can assess you, run your graded return, treat dizziness, neck pain and headache, and provide the clearance your club needs.
Browse verified concussion providers across Perth, or find one by area. You don't need a referral to see a physiotherapist privately.
Where this information comes from
- Netball Australia. Guidelines for the Management of Sport-Related Concussion: Pathways, Youth and Community (2026). netball.com.au
- Australian Institute of Sport. Concussion and Brain Health Position Statement 2024, and the Australian Concussion Guidelines for Youth and Community Sport. ausport.gov.au/concussion
Sport rules are updated regularly, usually before each season. This page was checked in November 2026 — always check the current policy with your club, league or school. This page is general information, not medical advice.