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NFL concussion spotters will have power to stop games in 2015

Doug Pensinger / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The NFL will allow concussion spotters to stop the game this season if they feel a player needs medical attention.

The spotters can currently contact teams on the sideline if they feel one of their players needs to be examined, but in 2015 they'll be able to buzz down and contact an official directly to stop the game. The player in question would then be forced to sit out a play until they pass a concussion test.

"We don’t expect this to happen a lot, but the athletic trainer is now empowered to stop the game if necessary to give the player the attention he needs," the NFL’s senior vice president of health and safety, Jeff Miller, told Ben Volin of The Boston Globe.

There could be concerns from teams about having a hurry-up offense slowed down and disrupting the flow of the game with these potential stoppages, but Miller says safety comes first.

"Concussions and head and neck injuries are really important and they need immediate attention," Miller said. "Therefore that was going to predominate over any potential competitive concerns. The expectation is not that this is a frequent occurrence, because there are so many other people who can also identify the injury."

The league is planning to use around 64 spotters that will rotate to different games throughout the season.

- With h/t to CBS Sports

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