The league’s Head, Neck and Spine committee announced the new concussion assessment protocol at the NFL Scouting Combine on Friday.

The revised guidelines combine a symptom checklist, cognitive evaluation, neurologic examination and a balance assessment and are derived from a sideline protocol developed by the international Concussion in Sport group, which last met in 2008 in Zurich.

The NFL’s new guidelines were developed by the Head, Neck and Spine committee in conjunction with results from surveys of the NFLPA and its medical advisors, team doctors, trainers and medical experts and professional societies.

• This tool provides a standardized format for evaluating head injury that medical staff can use on the sideline
• It incorporates the most important aspects of a focused exam, so that injury is identified, and athletes with concussion and more serious head and spine injury can be removed from play.
• A standardized set of guidelines for NFL teams did not exist and the new protocol is the latest league initiative to try and improve player health and safety.
• The new guidelines include modifications specific to professional football.

Reference: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2011/02/nfl-concussions-new-sideline-guidelines-head-neck-spine/1