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SDLA Compliance Resource

Collect the Annual Concussion Information Acknowledgment Before Athletic Participation

A participation gate connected to immediate removal, medical clearance, graduated return, and learning support—not a signature-only exercise.

  • Health
  • Athletics
Date(s)Each school year, before the pupil begins practice or competition in a covered athletic activity
Applies toSchool districts, charter schools, and private schools offering covered athletic programs under Education Code section 49475

In Plain Language: Before participation, give the pupil and parent/guardian the concussion and head-injury information sheet and collect the signed acknowledgment. If a pupil is suspected of sustaining a concussion, remove the pupil immediately for the rest of the day and do not return the pupil until evaluated and cleared through the required health-care process.

Why this matters

The form creates awareness; it does not waive safety duties. Symptoms may appear later and can affect classroom learning as well as sport.

Joint ownership

Gate owner: athletics/program administrator. Response owners: coach, athletic trainer, school nurse, administrator, and qualified health-care provider. Learning partners: teachers, counselor, Section 504/IEP team as applicable.

From the signed acknowledgment to a supervised return to play: the SDLA ITO workflow

The signature is only the first control: removal, medical clearance, and graduated return follow. This SDLA ITO (Input, Transformation, Output) graphic shows how the information sheet, the team roster, and any suspected head injury become the signed roster, the incident and clearance records, and the return-to-learn and return-to-play authorization.

SDLA ITO: eleven steps from the information sheet, the team roster, and any suspected head injury, through the participation gate, coach training, removal and evaluation, and graduated return, to the signed roster, the incident and clearance records, and the return-to-learn and return-to-play authorization.
Read down each column, then move to the next: Input identifies what to collect; Transformation covers the participation gate, coach training, removal and evaluation, and graduated return; Output covers the signed roster, the incident and clearance records, and the return-to-learn and return-to-play authorization. Collect before each pupil begins practice or competition in a covered activity each school year.

Open the full-size workflow graphic

Operational workflow

  1. Identify every covered team/activity and block participation until the current-year pupil and parent signatures are received.
  2. Train coaches on symptom recognition, immediate removal, emergency red flags, documentation, and parent notification.
  3. Obtain evaluation and written clearance from the appropriately qualified provider before return.
  4. Implement the provider-supervised graduated return-to-play protocol and classroom accommodations as needed.
  5. Retain the acknowledgment, incident, clearance, progression, and final return records.

The three connected controls

  • Before participation: Information plus annual signed acknowledgment.
  • After suspected injury: Immediate removal, parent notification, evaluation, and no same-day return.
  • During recovery: Graduated return to play and individualized return-to-learn support.

Evidence to retain

  • Current information sheet and signed roster
  • Coach training and team participation gate
  • Incident/removal and emergency assessment record
  • Provider clearance and seven-day progression log
  • Return-to-learn plan and final return authorization

Official guidance and help

Source review completed August 30, 2026. Verify current law, official health guidance, local health-department instructions, licensed-provider orders, individual pupil circumstances, and local policy before acting. This operational resource does not replace clinical judgment or emergency services.