As part of the new rules in Premiership Rugby the installation of a “concussion bin” will begin September 1st.  Union and the sport of rugby took some criticism when recently played matches included some players that seemed to be dazed or even incapacitated after a hard knock.  Because of this the new rule was created;

If a team doctor or referee suspects that a player may have suffered concussion during an Aviva Premiership match, that player will be required to leave the field for five minutes to undergo cognitive tests.

If that initial suspicion is confirmed in a pitch-side assessment, the concussed player will not be allowed to return and the temporary substitution will be made a permanent one.

Not only does the team medical official have the ability to have the player removed the referee can be more aggressive in getting a player off the field.  The hope is that this will catch more players that have suffered a concussion and make sure they are removed, but if you remember the NHL tried this at the end of the 10-11 season and it was basically abandoned the following year.

Not only do I think this is a productive idea, but it is one that should be adopted by the sports that have limited substitutions, such as soccer and Aussie Rules.  Five minutes are sufficient to get the job done, but more time would be better.  Alas, this is a step in the right direction.