Asian Football Confederation (AFC) promotes professional player care

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Medical Committee reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing professional care for players across the continent during its fifth meeting by adopting the AFC Guidelines for Dental Health and Field Management of Dental Emergencies, a pioneering step for the game in Asia. This document, the first ever comprehensive framework for sports dentistry in Asian football, is a living document that will be regularly reviewed, updated, and enhanced as new scientific evidence emerges. It is poised to set a new standard for player care by integrating oral and dental health into the core medical care system of football. The guidelines include detailed protocols for pre-competition dental examinations, injury prevention strategies, and rapid response procedures for oral and facial injuries during training and matches. Through these guidelines, the AFC ensures that every player in Asia benefits from the highest global standards of care and safety. The Committee also approved the implementation of the first Asian football registry for sudden cardiac death, in collaboration with the National Heart Institute of Malaysia, to enhance monitoring and prevention of football-related sudden cardiac arrest. The committee also approved the list of tests approved by the Asian Football Confederation for the 2027 calendar competitions, and agreed to establish an advisory group of experts to review the guidelines relating to participation in extreme climatic conditions, such as high temperatures and poor air quality, to ensure that the federation’s safety regulations remain strong and effective in the face of global environmental changes.