By Justin A. Rice, Globe Correspondent

Boston English and Charlestown have forfeited their football games scheduled for Friday.

Both Brighton (vs. English) and Burke (vs. Charlestown) will be credited for the victories while English and Charlestown take the loses because they did not have enough eligible players under the state’s new concussion policy.

Many city league teams are struggling to field teams this fall because they are having a hard time filing paperwork mandated by the state's concussion policy.

“The nurses have to be the ones to clear the [players on the] concussion [piece] and the eligibility,” Boston schools’ athletic director Ken Still said Friday morning. “They stepped up in some instances but some of them haven’t been able do it on time.Some nurses are ill and haven’t been in the building.”

This is the second year of a new law regarding concussion safety and awareness, specifically for the handling and reporting of concussions that all MIAA schools must follow. Players must file a head injury history form and parents must watch a concussion video or undergo a brief concussion training, usually online.

Players, parents, coaches, and athletic directors must certify they've taken the education course, and the student can't play until they file the forms.

On Tuesday, only two of the seven scheduled soccer games were actually played. Most of the other games were canceled due to paperwork not being filed on time.

Still said earlier this week he would consider starting the soccer season a week later next fall but he said football has to start at the same time statewide.

Some soccer coaches expressed concern about starting a week later while others liked the idea.

“That’s exactly what I face,” Still said. “There’s not a right or wrong answer sometimes when you’re dealing with over 14 and 15 people, They will have to come into a meeting during the post season and have to sit down and make some judgment calls.
“I’m more inclined to push it back.”

Justin A. Rice covers Boston Public school athletics. He can be reached at jrice.globe@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeJustinRice or @BPSspts.