the SCAT3 is a standardized tool for evaluating injured athletes for concussion and can be used in athletes aged from 13 years and older. it supersedes the original SCAT and the SCAT2 published in 2005 and 2009, respectively. For younger persons, ages 12 and under, please use the Child SCAT3. the SCAT3 is designed for use by medical professionals. If you are not qualified, please use the Sport Concussion recognition tool. preseason baseline testing with the SCAT3 can be helpful for interpreting post-injury test scores.

Specific instructions for use of the SCAT3 are provided on the 3 tab. If you are not familiar with the SCAT3, please read through these instructions carefully. this tool may be freely copied in its current form for distribution to individuals, teams, groups and organizations. Any revision or any reproduction in a digital form requires approval by the Concussion in Sport Group.

NOTE: the diagnosis of a concussion is a clinical judgment, ideally made by a medical professional. the SCAT3 should not be used solely to make, or exclude, the diagnosis of concussion in the absence of clinical judgement. An athlete may have a concussion even if their SCAT3 is normal.

A concussion is a disturbance in brain function caused by a direct or indirect force to the head. It results in a variety of non-specific signs or symptoms (some examples listed below) and most often does not involve loss of consciousness. Concussion should be suspected in the presence of any one or more of the following:
• Symptoms (e.g., headache), or
• Physical signs (e.g., unsteadiness), or
• Impaired brain function (e.g. confusion) or
• Abnormal behaviour (e.g., change in personality).