A new law has changed athletic policies regarding concussions and full-contact sports practices, effective Jan. 1.

AB 2127 requires that medical providers follow a seven-day multistep procedure to assess whether or not an athlete is concussed and places restrictions on the number of full-contact practices held by scholastic sports.

The changes stem from concussion-related issues in the NFL. With more athletes getting concussed and suing the league, regulators began to address how to protect student athletes from concussions, athletic director Craig Best said.

Because the process of diagnosing a concussion usually takes around seven days, the new law will only affect medical providers who were not previously following the procedure, Best said. The bill also changes the number of full-contact practices allowed during the on- and off-seasons.

“That’s one of the biggest changes and potentially the most controversial,” Best said.

AB 2127 defines a full-contact practice as “a practice where drills or live action is conducted that involves collisions at game speed, where players execute tackles, and other activity that is typical of an actual tackle football game.”

The new policy will mainly affect the football team because it is the school’s only full-contact sport. It limits the number of full-contact practices to two 90-minute, full-contact practices per week during the preseason and regular season. The bill completely eliminates full-contact practices from the off-season.

Some believe that the new law will make full-contact sports safer for student athletes while other say it will keep athletes from learning proper techniques in falling, tackling and getting hit, Best said.

“There are two sides to that controversy,” he said. “Our coach just happens to be very well versed in safety and prevention.”

Head football coach Scott Coats said he believes the new law and policy is a good thing.

“I support the law, and I think we are really on top of the situation already,” Coats said. “It will affect us very little.”

To fall in accordance with the new regulations, the football team will lose three full-contact practices held over the summer. Coats said that the football team has already been making changes to prevent injuries and concussions over the past two years.

The football team practices with shadow men, mobile dummies that stimulate tackling without requiring player-to-player contact. The team also practices rugby-style tackling, a technique which removes the head and neck from the tackle.

“We have been proactive,” Coats said. “We are ready for this.”

Beyond Piedmont football, Coats said he recognizes why this law has received resistance from other coaches and programs. He said that other teams in the area fear the new law will result in an inability to practice skills imperative to football, such as tackling.

“I would argue that they are wrong and we have already proved it,” Coats said. “We had a great season and we already follow the model.”

Coats believes the new law and policy are a step in the right direction.

“We will continue in every way, shape and form to make football as safe as we can,” Coats said. “I’m glad we can move forward as a sport and we need to continue to do that.”