New York, NY (My Sportsbook) - The NFL has taken a proactive stance on addressing concussions, a condition that has led to several players retiring or being sidelined for substantial amounts of time.

The league announced Tuesday that it would establish a concussion hotline. It's being formed to report information on a confidential basis about players being forced to practice or play against medical advice.

"We want to make sure all NFL players, coaches and staff members are fully informed and take advantage of the most up-to-date information and resources as we continue to study the long-term impact of concussions," commissioner Roger Goodell said. "Because of the unique and complex nature of the brain, our goal is to continue to have concussions managed conservatively by outstanding medical personnel in a way that clearly emphasizes player safety over competitive concerns."

The NFL held a medical conference in June about concussions and it was attended by team physicians and trainers from each team and medical representatives of the Players Association.

The league noted players who have been removed from a game due to a concussion will be tested again during the season as part of the medical staff's treatment. That will help in determining when players can return to practice and play.

The NFL also released a pamphlet of how to identify concussions and noted that not every hard hit to the head leads to one, but a concussion can "only be determined by your team doctors and athletic trainers."

According to a study released earlier this year by the University of North Carolina's Center for the Study of Retired Athletes, a survey of over 2,500 retired NFL players revealed the rate of diagnosed clinical depression had a strong relation to the number of concussions that particular player sustained.