Head injury return
If in doubt, sit them out.
A “Possible head injury” button sits on every game and training log. Press it and the app locks training and walks you through England Rugby’s graduated return timeline, one day at a time. It is free for everyone and can’t be switched off.
What happens when you press it
- Everything locks. Contact work, sprints, jumps, lifting and conditioning.
- Clear guidance on screen. No return to sport within 24 hours, call NHS 111 within 24 hours UK Concussion Guidelines 2023. Warning signs show a full-screen 999 alert.
- A day-by-day return. Stages scheduled from the day of injury with a daily symptom check.
- Support while you’re out. Stay-involved prompts and a mood check at each stage.
The six stages
From England Rugby’s Graduated Return to Activity and Sport (GRAS) programme, part of its HEADCASE guidance, which applies to players of all ages RFU GRAS 2023.
| Stage | What it involves | Earliest |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Relative rest | Easy daily activity only, short slots, minimal screens | First 24–48 hours |
| 2. Daily and light activity | More daily and mental activity, short walks, school or work gradually | After at least 24 hours |
| 3. Light aerobic and bodyweight | Easy jogging, swimming or cycling and low-level bodyweight exercise | When symptoms allow |
| 4. Non-contact training and weights | Rugby skills and running drills, weight training. Only with no symptoms at rest | Day 8 |
| 5. Full contact training | Gradual return to contact, walk-throughs, bags and shields first | Day 15, and only after 14 days with no symptoms at rest |
| 6. Return to play | Normal match play | Day 21 |
To move up a stage, symptoms must get no more than mildly worse; otherwise you drop back a stage the next day. No stage can be skipped or brought forward. Symptoms not improving by day 14: call NHS 111. Still there at 28 days: see your GP. You can pause or stop at any time, and school or work comes back before sport.
A headache that gets worse, repeated vomiting, a seizure, weakness, numbness or tingling, growing confusion or drowsiness, or neck pain.
Match Ready isn’t affiliated with England Rugby. The timeline is taken from its published guidance; read the official HEADCASE pages and the UK Concussion Guidelines for grassroots sport. Full explanation in our concussion return-to-play guide.
Mouthguard reminder
On game days the app reminds you to wear one. A 2023 meta-analysis found mouthguard use was associated with about a 26% lower concussion risk Eliason et al. 2023.
Concussion history
Sign-up asks how many concussions you’ve had and when. Two or more in 12 months brings up a prompt to see a doctor before contact-preparation work.
Frequently asked questions
Does the app diagnose concussion?
No. It can’t and doesn’t try. If you think you might have a head injury, press the button and follow the guidance: no return to sport within 24 hours, and call NHS 111 within 24 hours. For warning signs such as a worsening headache, repeated vomiting, a seizure, weakness or numbness, growing confusion or neck pain, call 999.
Will it tell me when I can play again?
Never. It schedules each stage, checks your symptoms daily and won’t let you skip or bring a stage forward, but it never shows “cleared”. A doctor decides when you can return to play.
Is the head injury feature free?
Yes. Head injury reporting and the return steps are free for everyone, with or without a subscription, and the feature can’t be turned off.
What happens after I return?
For three months the app adds the neck block and the full warm-up programme, because research suggests injury risk is higher after a return from concussion Moore et al. 2022.
Coming soon
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