New head injury protocol could be introduced by FIFA and UEFA in October

New head injury protocols - for a sport that desperately needs them after ghastly events at the World Cup involving Alvaro Pereira and Christoph Kramer - could be introduced by the start of October.

The head of FIFA's medical committee is recommending a three-minute stoppage of play when a player suffers a head injury, during which the player would be assessed by a team doctor. 

"After three minutes the referee will allow the player to continue playing on one condition, that is he has the green light of the team doctor," said Michel D'Hooghe, according to the BBC. 

"It is not to the coach, not to the player himself to make the decision. At that moment it is the team doctor and only the team doctor who will decide."

D'Hooghe will present his recommendations to UEFA on Sept. 18 and to FIFA one week later. 

While his recommendations are a step in the right direction, they do not address the possibility that decisions made by team doctors could be swayed by their allegiances.

A neutral doctor, that could address head injuries suffered by both teams, would be another positive step in dealing with the issue.