It’s pretty clear after watching the World Cup, soccer may not be the game many people have perceived. It’s not all about the kicks and the legwork. There’s also a great deal of play involving the head.

Despite the fact that there is a concussion protocol within the World Cup organization, polices were ignored in some cases. Players suffering head injuries were not seen by doctors and not removed from play. One athlete who suffered a head injury continued to stay in the game until he had to be assisted off the field. Later, he admitted he didn’t remember much after being hit. Memory loss is a telling symptom of concussion.

So what does this tell our young athletes?

As a physician deeply interested in increasing concussion awareness, I’m just as concerned about what these incidents imply to parents, coaches, and others involved in youth sports. My fear is that many still believe that after a head hit, if the young athlete says he’s okay, he is okay. That’s not much different from a child telling a parent he got bitten by a snake but that it doesn’t hurt and he feels okay. Few parents are going to buy it, and in fact, most will rush the child immediately to a hospital.

So here’s what I hope readers will come away with:

Hits to the head are common in sports. But failing to follow up with a medical diagnosis and failing to remove a player from the game and practice could put that young player at serious risk of brain damage.

I’m a sports fan. And I’m not calling for changing the rules of how any particular sport is played. But I’m seriously calling for a change in the rules regarding how we respond to head injuries. I was aware that on more than one occasion, World Cup players sustained head hits and continued to play the game. What this tells me is that even at the professional level, protocols are not being followed and the issue of concussion is not being taken as seriously as it should be. If awareness at this level of sports is still so limited, and if protocols at this level are still being ignored, what does this mean for the way we respond to head hits in youth sports?

In the case of concussions, ignorance is not bliss. It is dangerous.

I would urge all parents of young athletes and all athletic personnel to make concussion awareness a priority. If a young athlete sustains a head hit during a game or practice, don’t leave it up to the athlete to decide its severity or to make a decision about whether to continue playing. The rule of thumb should be a simple and universal two-step process:

• Stop playing
• See a medical profession

Following the medical visit, there may be more rules for the young athlete depending on the diagnosis, treatment, and time it takes for the concussion to resolve. But those first two steps should be considered new rules of the game – in any sport.