NRL enforces 11-day stand down for players after concussions

SYDNEY (AP) — The National Rugby League says any player diagnosed with a concussion will be automatically sidelined for 11 days in one of the biggest changes to its player safety protocols in nearly a decade. The Australian Rugby League Commission administers the NRL. The commission met Tuesday to determine updates to the game’s concussion policy. The rules will come into effect this week from the third-round opener between Manly and Parramatta. Under the new shutdown rule, players who have sustain a concussion will be guaranteed to miss the following weekend’s match, and potentially a second game depending on the schedule. Players will only be able to return sooner in exceptional circumstances, after being given approval from an NRL-appointed independent neurologist.