Hundreds of thousands of young athletes in Ohio will soon face new rules about when they can practice or play sports if they show signs that they suffered a head injury or concussion.

Under a bill that unanimously cleared the state Senate on Tuesday, Ohio will join more than two dozen states that restrict when athletes in youth sports or school teams can return to practice or competition if it appears they may have suffered a brain injury.

House Bill 143 will go back to the House for final approval next week and Gov. John Kasich says he’ll sign it into law. Replay our live chat on this topic with a local doctor.

The bill would require: parents signing off that they received information on head injuries and concussions before their child is allowed to participate, coaches and referees pulling players who show signs of suffering a head injury or concussion, coaches banning those players from competition and practice until they are cleared by a doctor or health care official designed by the school.

It also requires training for coaches and referees in how to recognize the signs of a concussion or head injury and mandates that the Ohio Department of Health produce information materials for distribution to parents.

State Rep. Sean O’Brien, D-Brookfield, a primary sponsor of the bill, said medical research shows that repeated concussions are especially dangerous to children whose brains are still developing. It is important to raise awareness among players, parents, coaches and referees to protect children from risking further injury by competing or practicing after they are showing signs of a concussion, he said.

Figures were not immediately available on how many Ohio kids play sports but there are 1.8 million children in K-12 schools statewide. “It’s going to effect a lot of young children,” O’Brien said.