The NFL successfully has pushed for 31 states and the District of Columbia to pass the Zackery Lystedt Law, named for a youth football player in Washington who suffered a serious brain injury after staying in a game despite suffering a concussion.
Per the Associated Press, Commissioner Roger Goodell and NCAA President Mark Emmert sent letters today to the 19 remaining states that have yet to pass the law.
The law mandates the removal from a game or practice of any youth athlete who shows the signs of a concussion, and it prohibits the player from returning to action until receiving clearance from a licensed health care professional with training in concussion evaluation and management.
Here’s hoping that the 19 remaining states do the right thing -- and that all youth coaches, especially football coaches, put winning behind protecting the health of every child entrusted to them.