The next time you see a catcher take one off the mask in higher baseball watch what the umpire does afterwards....
I consider it one of the unwritten rules of baseball......when your catcher takes one off the mask, you immediately call time.....go out a little beyond the cutout.....and throw a new ball to the pitcher or ask to see the ball.....rub it up....or just turn around and dust the plate with your brush or toe of your plate shoe.....anything to give your catcher a few minutes to pull himself together.... as said before sometimes the results of the impact take a minute or so to surface.....
I always ask if he is ok and if I dont get a verbal answer, I ask the coach to check on him....players at this level are not apt to easily remove themselves from a game.....
That being said, if I take one off the mask....catchers will give me the same consideration.....call time to run out to talk to the pitcher and give me a minute or so...
it is a good idea for all concerned....as an umpire I do not want a catcher in front of me who is impaired...and he certainly does not want me behind him calling balls and strikes with my eyes rolling around in the back of my head.........