The English Premier League, England’s primary professional soccer competition (as the name implies), is introducing new rules on how to deal with head injuries.

Starting with the 2014-15 season, any player with a head injury must leave the pitch, and a club doctor, not management or the coaching staff, must make the decision on whether a player can return to play. And for each game, the home team must employ a “tunnel” doctor who will monitor the action for potential concussions and provide support for the club doctors.

In addition, a campaign to educate players and managers about the dangers of concussions will be launched, a doctor dedicated to head injury research who liaises with each club will be hired, and annual baseline testing of all players will be conducted.

Several high-profile mishandlings of soccer concussions in the last year have been driving forces in the changes. In addition to several World Cup blunders, a head injury last season within the league has mounted pressure for reform: Keeper Hugo Lloris lost conscious during a match yet was allowed to continue playing for the rest of the game.

Now, the League is taking important steps to improve how they handle such situations and prevent such dangerous situations. With any luck, this will mark the beginning of a trend toward better head safety in professional soccer as a whole.

*Scientists have no conclusive evidence as to whether or how the reduction of g-forces during impacts reduces the number or degree of concussions and head injuries. GelDefender products provide supplemental padding as well as cooling and comfort benefits when used with helmets and caps. Participants in activities in which head impacts can occur should always use tested and approved helmets for protection. However, no helmet or supplemental padding can protect the user from all serious head or neck injuries that can result from impacts.