Availability and content of concussion guidelines in Australian combat sports

Objectives: To examine the availability and content of publicly available concussion information published by peak amateur and professional combat sport governing bodies in Australia. Design: Cross-sectional study; document analysis. Methods: Publicly available concussion information was retrieved from the websites of eleven peak Australian amateur and professional combat sport governing bodies. Data on type of source material, concussion definition, provision of medical services, concussion evaluation, and return-to-sport information were extracted. The quality of the information was assessed using a modified version of the Global Rating Scale. Results: Eight out of eleven combat sport governing bodies provided concussion information in source documents ranging from competition rules to position statements to specific policies. Five governing bodies provided information on post-contest concussion evaluation or testing, four of which mentioned the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool. Eight governing bodies provided information on return-to-sport, of which six stipulated mandatory minimum rest periods and four indicated that athletes should complete a graduated return-to-sport protocol. The provided concussion information was generally of low quality, with a median score of 3 out of 9 (range: 1–4). Conclusions: There is substantial scope and an urgent need for improving concussion guidelines across peak combat sport governing bodies in Australia to improve the health and safety of their athletes.