FIFA takes concussion precautions

Zurich - The FIFA medical committee wants to improve football's concussion protocol by stopping matches for three minutes while team doctors assess players with head injuries.

FIFA says the executive committee will consider the proposal giving referees new powers to halt play at its two-day meeting starting Thursday.

UEFA adopted the three-minute break protocol last week and will apply it in Champions League matches from next week.

FIFA says incidents at the 2014 Soccer World Cup showed "the role of team doctors needs to be reinforced in order to ensure the correct management of potential cases of concussion."

In the final, Germany midfielder Christoph Kramer played on for 14 minutes before being substituted when clearly disorientated.

The medical panel also advised postponing non-urgent FIFA courses in African countries affected by the Ebola outbreak.