http://www.espnfc.us/fifa-world-cup/story/2006149/parental-class-action-lawsuit-takes-aim-at-fifas-soccer-concussion-protocol

A group of parents filed a class action lawsuit in California on Wednesday that would limit how many times children under 17 can head the ball and permit temporary substitutions in pro leagues while a player is checked for a head injury, according to a report.

The suit, filed against FIFA in U.S. District Court in California, names U.S. Soccer, American Youth Soccer Organization and other U.S. youth organisations, charging negligence regarding head injuries, according to a New York Times report.

"There is an epidemic of concussion injuries in soccer at all levels around the world, including in the United States, from youth to professionals, from elite players to children playing for the first time, women and men, girls and boys," the filing, which seeks no financial damage, reads. "FIFA presides over this epidemic, and is one of its primary causes."

Participants from FIFA and other sports organisations met on Sunday and Monday at league headquarters to participate in a "think tank," funded by an educational grant from the NFL in New York.

Dozens of scientific and medical personnel from football, rugby and equestrian circles participated to look into better ways to identify, manage and treat concussions.

Plaintiffs in Wednesday's class action suit include Rachel Mehr, a former youth club soccer player, several parents on behalf of their children in youth soccer leagues and Kira Akka-Seidel, a former player for the University of California, Santa Cruz, according to The New York Times report.

The plaintiffs' lawyer, Steve Berman, who also represents players in a concussion suit against the NCAA, told The New York Times that the organisation is vulnerable to an American suit because many American leagues are affiliated with FIFA and its Laws of the Game are cited by nearly every soccer organisation.

"If FIFA made the Laws of the Game different, they would be different at every level," he said.

World Cup organisers repeatedly failed to follow their own concussion protocol and then did not take advantage of the international interest in the tournament to teach fans and young players about the dangers of head injuries, concussion expert Chris Nowinski said after the World Cup. 

Several times in the month-long tournament, players sustained obvious concussions but continued to play -- a practice doctors agree can put them at risk of severe brain damage.

In the final, Germany midfielder Christoph Kramer played on after colliding with Argentina defender Ezequiel Garay. Kramer later had to be helped off the field and said he couldn't remember much from the collision -- signature symptoms of a concussion.

A football isn't that heavy. And if it's "SO" dangerous wear a helmet

I doubt soccer players will wear helmets lol

Rugby players don't even wear helmets and they get bashed up really hard every match.
Try bring in the middle of a scrum or take a tackle and then you'll know all about concussions. Footballers and people who play football would want to stop whinging. It's not a contact sport

We played fouling football every lunch at school and the worst that ever happened was a broken nose or two and maybe a broken finger. If your kids are regularly getting concussions they're clearly too frail to be playing sports.

If it's such a problem, why dont these dumbass parents just stop taking their kids to play?

It's a risk you take. You know what you're signing up for, suck it up, it's part of the game.

I think what the biggest complaint is that there is no proper protocol to handle concussions like in other sports. The problem is that some players are getting concussions but are still allowed to play w/o proper treatment.

The example I'll use is Christoph Krammer in the WC final against Argentina. He had suffered a severe concussion but was still allowed to go on w/o anyone treating him. It was so bad he asked the ref during the game, "This is the World Cup final?"

Oh well don't get me wrong, I don't think it's ok to put kids in a situation where they can easily be injured. But the problem should be with the parents, not the association. Just stop taking your whiny brats there if it bugs you so much.

Yeah, I get that, but my point was about the sport in general at all levels. If this were the NFL, Krammer would've been pulled and treated the first time he had symptoms.

I can actually see what Drachen is saying. Same happened with the NFL. They would just allow players to back in the game while having a concussion which can be extremely dangerous.

They wouldnt "just allow" them back into the games. The only time i can remember recently of a player doing that was Colt McCoy when he was with the Browns. Had a concussion, lied to the training staff and told them he was alright and was put back into the game.