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The key to my post was not in that the coach can protest. The key is that the trainer followed a protocol.
The Fed provides guidelines for institutions to use in setting up protocols for dealing with head injuries. This document is found at the NFHS web site under Sports > Sports Medicine > Information on Concussions.
This document also discusses what coaches and administrators can look for if they are without a trainer or other "trained and knowledgeable" individuals at their games or practices, they being in a position to compare the athlete's normal behavior against how this person is behaving post injury.
I believe NFHS would like to see a more rigorous set of criteria placed on how to deal with returning players to action after suffering a potential head injury, but the only mandate that is written is found in 10-2-3k.
Basically, NFHS is leaving it up to the schools to decide how to deal with these situations, but in extreme cases where a player is attempting to return after losing consciousness, they have asked the umpires to prevent re-entry.
Umpires are not being asked to enforce the guidelines as suggested to the schools, or even the guidelines that the CDC may suggest. My point is only to show that the bar for when we can step in is limited.
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