Concussion in football (soccer): Perth guide
Reviewed November 2026 by Online Concussion Clinic, a Perth-based telehealth concussion physiotherapy service. How this site is run
Football Australia's community concussion guidelines apply to club and junior football across Perth, including Football West competitions. They follow the AIS 14-day and 21-day rules.
The rules at a glance
- Off for the day. A player with a suspected concussion doesn't return to that match or training session.
- See a doctor within 3–4 days. A qualified medical practitioner should assess the player early. Physiotherapists can help with monitoring and the graded return.
- 14 days symptom-free at rest before full contact training. The 14 days start when symptoms stop, not on the day of the injury.
- Minimum 21 days from the concussion before playing matches (the day of injury is day 0).
- Under-19s are managed more cautiously, including a gradual return to school at each stage. An earlier return is only possible for adults 19 and over with daily access to a medical team, which is rare outside elite football.
The graded return to football
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
Football West clubs follow the Football Australia guidelines. Check with your club about how clearances are recorded.
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
Clearance has to come from a doctor, but a concussion physiotherapist can assess you, run your graded return, treat dizziness, neck pain and headache, and work alongside your GP or sports doctor.
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
- Football Australia. Community Concussion Guidelines (April 2025). footballaustralia.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.