The Competition and Operations Directorate of CONMEBOL announced that in addition to the five substitutions per team authorized in the tournament's official regulations, a potential sixth will be added to protect the health of the players.
The new rule:
"Article 96th - Substitution in case of suspected cranioencephalic trauma and concussion:
I. Up to 1 (one) substitution per team per match may be made in case of suspected cranioencephalic trauma and concussion, regardless of the 5 (five) substitutions mentioned in this Regulation in the preceding article (in case of extra time, six substitutions). The substitution for concussion may be made regardless of the number of substitutions made up to that point.
II. If the team decides to make the substitution for concussion, it will inform the main referee or the fourth official. For this substitution, a pink card, different from the other substitution cards, will be used.
III. However, if a normal substitution is made at the same time as a substitution for concussion, one substitution opportunity will be deducted. When a team has used all regular substitution opportunities, it cannot use a substitution for concussion to make a regular substitution.
IV. When a substitution for concussion is made, the opposing team will automatically have the possibility of making an additional substitution. The main referee or the fourth official will inform the opposing team that, from that moment on, they have the option to use an additional substitute and an additional substitution opportunity, which can be made simultaneously or after the substitution for concussion made by the opposing team. This additional opportunity can only be used for an additional substitution, not for regular substitutions.
V. The player who suffers a concussion or is suspected of having suffered one will not be allowed to rejoin the match or participate in the penalty shootout, and, whenever possible, will be accompanied to the dressing room or a medical center.
VI. Once the match is over (with a maximum deadline of 24 hours after its conclusion), it will be mandatory for the team doctor who has detected this suspicion on the field and has or has not substituted the player to send the completed and signed SCAT5 form (standardized tool for evaluating concussions) to the CONMEBOL medical commission, through the following email: comision.medica@conmebol.com.
