Iowa has become the 14th state to pass a bill aimed at reducing serious head injuries among middle and high school athletes.

According to the Des Moines Register, Governor Terry Branstad recently signed the student-athlete concussion bill into law.

The law, which takes effect on July 1, requires coaches and contest officials to immediately remove a student from an extracurricular athletic activity if he or she shows signs of a concussion or other brain injury.

In addition, players cannot return to their sport until they have been evaluated by a licensed health care provider who provides written approval for the player to return to the team.

"What you have to do is what's responsible, what you’d do if someone had a suspected ACL injury or a suspected broken bone," the Brain Injury Association of Iowa's Geoffrey Lauer told the Indianapolis Star. "You send them to a licensed healthcare practitioner to be checked out."

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms of a concussion include confusion, clumsiness, headaches, personality changes and sensitivity to light or noise.

Following the sport's rules, practicing good sportsmanship and making sure to wear proper protective equipment can help reduce the number of head injuries.

Equipment such as helmets should fit properly, be well-maintained and worn consistently while playing the sport.

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