AB 2108: Youth athletics: Safe Youth Football Act.

Existing law requires a school district, charter school, or private school, if it offers an athletic program, to provide a concussion and head injury information sheet to be signed and returned by the athlete and athletes parent or guardian, on a yearly basis, before the athlete initiates practice or competition.

Existing law requires youth sports organizations, defined to include organizations, businesses, nonprofit entities, or local governmental agencies that sponsor or conduct amateur sports competitions, training, camps, or clubs in which persons 17 years of age or younger participate in any of 27 designated sports, to immediately remove an athlete from an athletic activity for the remainder of the day if the athlete is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury, and prohibits the athlete from returning to the athletic activity until the athlete is evaluated by a licensed health care provider, who is trained in the management of concussions and acting within the scope of his or her practice, and the athlete receives written clearance from the licensed health care provider to return to the athletic activity.

Existing law requires youth sports organizations to notify the parents or guardians of athletes 17 years of age or younger who have been removed from athletic activities due to suspected concussions, as specified. Existing law requires youth sports organizations to offer concussion and head injury education or related educational materials, or both, to each of their coaches and administrators on a yearly basis, as prescribed. Existing law requires each of these coaches and administrators to successfully complete the concussion and head injury education offered under the bill at least once either online or in person.

This bill, on and after January 1, 2020, would prohibit any person who is not at least 12 years of age from playing tackle football with a youth sports organization, as specified.