--- title: A knock to the head in sport: if in doubt, sit them out — a lesson of Mova's school · trees and pragmatics description: «A knock to the head in sport: if in doubt, sit them out», a lesson of the medicine course of Mova's primary school, sentence by sentence with dependency trees and pragmatics. It begins: Your brain floats inside your skull like a jelly in a lunchbox; a hard jolt, from a head clash, a fall or even a --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/47-a-knock-to-the-head-in-sport-if-in-doubt-sit-them-out/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/) / [Medicine](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/) / A knock to the head in sport: if in do… # A knock to the head in sport: if in doubt, sit them out Lesson 47 of the medicine course of Mova's primary school: 18 sentences, each with its syntax tree and pragmatics. The lessons are written for Mova, and their agreed trees are part of Mova corpus 0.4 (CC BY-SA 4.0). How Mova does on its tests: [the lesson at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/medicine/47-a-knock-to-the-head-in-sport-if-in-doubt-sit-them-out/). - [0](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/47-a-knock-to-the-head-in-sport-if-in-doubt-sit-them-out/0/) — Your brain floats inside your skull like a jelly in a lunchbox; a hard jolt, from a head clash, a fall or even a big tackle to the body, can shake it against the inside, and that is concussion. - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/47-a-knock-to-the-head-in-sport-if-in-doubt-sit-them-out/1/) — Freya in Newcastle clashes heads going for a header and wobbles: «Howay, I'm fine man, let's gan» («howay» and «gan» are Geordie for come on and go), but the coach takes her off anyway, because the rule in UK grassroots sport is «if in doubt, sit them out». - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/47-a-knock-to-the-head-in-sport-if-in-doubt-sit-them-out/2/) — You don't have to be knocked out to be concussed, and the signs can be odd: asking the score three times, a headache, wobbly legs, feeling sick, blurry eyes or just acting not like yourself. - [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/47-a-knock-to-the-head-in-sport-if-in-doubt-sit-them-out/4/) — Helmets and scrum caps help with cuts and some bumps, but no headgear can stop the brain moving inside the skull, so the same rule applies to everyone. - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/47-a-knock-to-the-head-in-sport-if-in-doubt-sit-them-out/5/) — Concussion is a brain injury caused by a jolt that shakes the brain inside the skull, and most concussions happen without being knocked out. - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/47-a-knock-to-the-head-in-sport-if-in-doubt-sit-them-out/6/) — Signs of concussion include headache, dizziness, feeling sick, blurred vision, confusion, forgetting things, wobbling and acting differently. - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/47-a-knock-to-the-head-in-sport-if-in-doubt-sit-them-out/7/) — UK grassroots sport guidance says «if in doubt, sit them out»: anyone with a suspected concussion must stop playing and must not go back on that same day. - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/47-a-knock-to-the-head-in-sport-if-in-doubt-sit-them-out/8/) — Concussion usually doesn't show on a normal scan; it is spotted from the signs. - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/47-a-knock-to-the-head-in-sport-if-in-doubt-sit-them-out/9/) — Red flags after a head knock include being sick again and again, a headache that gets worse, a fit, being very sleepy or hard to wake, weakness, or confusion getting worse, and they mean an adult calls 999. - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/47-a-knock-to-the-head-in-sport-if-in-doubt-sit-them-out/10/) — Signs can appear hours later, so an adult at home should watch the player that evening and the next day, and they should be checked by a doctor or NHS 111 within a day. - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/47-a-knock-to-the-head-in-sport-if-in-doubt-sit-them-out/11/) — UK guidance says rest for the first 24 to 48 hours with less screen time, then gentle everyday things like short walks, backing off if symptoms come back. - [12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/47-a-knock-to-the-head-in-sport-if-in-doubt-sit-them-out/12/) — Lying in a dark room for a week is not the advice; after a day or two, gentle activity is part of getting better. - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/47-a-knock-to-the-head-in-sport-if-in-doubt-sit-them-out/13/) — Under UK grassroots guidance there is no competitive sport for at least 21 days after a concussion, even if you feel fine sooner. - [14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/47-a-knock-to-the-head-in-sport-if-in-doubt-sit-them-out/14/) — A second knock while the brain is still healing can be much more serious than the first. - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/47-a-knock-to-the-head-in-sport-if-in-doubt-sit-them-out/15/) — Return to sport goes in stages: rest, everyday activity, light exercise, non-contact training, full training, then matches, dropping back a stage if symptoms return. - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/47-a-knock-to-the-head-in-sport-if-in-doubt-sit-them-out/16/) — The guidance puts getting back to school and learning before getting back to sport. - [17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/47-a-knock-to-the-head-in-sport-if-in-doubt-sit-them-out/17/) — Anyone who sees a sign should speak up: the player, a teammate, a parent, a coach or the referee; telling about a mate's head knock is not snitching. - [18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/47-a-knock-to-the-head-in-sport-if-in-doubt-sit-them-out/18/) — Scrum caps and helmets protect against cuts and some bumps but do not prevent concussion. - ← previous: [Hurt on the pitch: rolled ankles, dead legs, winded, and when to stop](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/46-hurt-on-the-pitch-rolled-ankles-dead-legs-winded/) - next →: [Broken bones in sport: fingers, wrists and collarbones](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/48-broken-bones-in-sport-fingers-wrists-and-collarbones/) - ↑ back to [Medicine](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/)