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The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) announced a major change to the rules less than a month ahead of the Copa America 2024. CONMEBOL announced pink substitution passes for concussion replacements in the tournament. As per the new announcement, the coaches of the teams would be able to make a sixth and extra substitution during the game in case of head trauma and concussion. The tournament is set to kick off on June 20, where a total of 10 CONMEBOL teams and six invited teams from Concacaf will compete for the coveted title.
Ahead of the tournament, the football governing body announced the decision which would be valid for all its tournaments once Copa America starts. CONMEBOL stated that the coaches must notify the referee or the 4th match official about the concussion replacement through a pink substitution pass.
The players who will leave the pitch under such conditions will have to go to the locker room or a hospital for assessment and they won’t be able to return to the game or participate in the penalty shootout. In addition, when the substitution is used, the opposite team would have the possibility of making an additional substitution. A method similar to this was implemented in Major League Soccer in 2021 as a part of the FIFA pilot program.
CONMEBOL announced, “The substitution for concussion will take place regardless of the number of substitutions until the moment it happens. When the concussion substitution takes place, the opposing team will automatically be allowed to make an additional substitution.” Notably, the tournament will kick off with a game between Argentina and Canada at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
