The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) announced that it will implement the pink card during Copa América 2024, which will begin in mid-June and will be played in the United States.
This new rule will allow national teams to make an additional substitution in the event that a player suffers a concussion or head injury during the match. If this happens, the team will inform the main referee of the game or the fourth official that it will proceed to replace the player.
Before the World Cup in Qatar was held, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) studied the possibility of implementing it in the top tournament. Ultimately, that decision was not made, but the pink card was used in other smaller championships.
What does the regulation say regarding the pink card?
Through a statement obtained by ESPN, CONMEBOL detailed the regulations on the pink card:
1. 1 (one) substitution may be made per team per match in the event of suspicion of craniocerebral trauma and concussion, being independent of the 5 (five) substitutions mentioned in this Regulation in the preceding article (in case of extension, six substitutions). Substitution due to concussion may be carried out regardless of the number of substitutions made up to the moment it occurs.
2. If the team decides to carry out the substitution due to concussion, the main referee or the fourth official will be informed. For this substitution, a pink card will be used, different from the other replacement cards.
3. However, if a normal substitution is made at the same time as a concussion substitution, one substitution opportunity will be deducted. When a team has used all regular substitution opportunities, it may not use a concussion substitution to make a regular substitution.
4. When a concussion substitution is used, the opposing team will automatically have the possibility of making an additional substitution. The main referee or the fourth referee will inform the opposing team that, from that moment on, they have the option of using an additional substitute, which can be made simultaneously or after the concussion substitution made by the team contrary. This additional opportunity can only be used for an additional substitution, not for regular substitutions.
5. A player who suffers a concussion or is suspected of having suffered one will not be allowed to return to the match or participate in the penalty shoot-out and, whenever possible, will be escorted to the locker room or a medical facility.
6. Once the match has finished (with a maximum period of 24 hours after its end), it will be mandatory for the team doctor who has detected this suspicion on the field of play, whether or not the player has been substituted, to send the SCAT5 form (standardized tool to evaluate concussions), complete and signed by the same, to the CONMEBOL medical commission, through the following e-mail: comision.medica@conmebol.com.
