Heading banned in youth football

[Carl Sagan]

Inevitably, as the downstream effects of the concussion scandal in American football, we have now reached the point when football is being phased out in English youth football: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cd190dn549yo. Soon 11 year olds won't be allowed to head the ball. 

There is so much money in football, and the potential for law suits so massive, that it will likely be banned across all football within a decade. 

The beautiful game evolves. We will quickly adjust. Kids a few decades hence won't believe people risked brain damage to play, and the ball will spend much more time on the floor. Maybe a "head height" rule like in 5-a-side (is that still a thing?) will be implemented. I feel we'll miss something, but I understand the reasons behind it.

[Srg]

Heading the ball is the issue, not the clashes of heads, flailing elbows and things? Sure. 

For what it’s worth, just like the NFL, know the risks. Don’t break a fundamental part of the game. 

Edited May 17 by Srg

[Andrew3000]

26 minutes ago, Srg said:

Heading the ball is the issue, not the clashes of heads, flailing elbows and things? Sure. 

For what it’s worth, just like the NFL, know the risks. Don’t break a fundamental part of the game. 

Heading tbe ball causes repeated countre coup injury as tbe brain, floating in cerebralsp8nal fluid bounces of the bony structures at tbe front of tbe inside of tbe skull. So, yes heads, elbows are bigger issues in comparison but tbe daily repeated damage of heading is significant.

[Andrew3000]

42 minutes ago, Carl Sagan said:

Inevitably, as the downstream effects of the concussion scandal in American football, we have now reached the point when football is being phased out in English youth football: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cd190dn549yo. Soon 11 year olds won't be allowed to head the ball. 

There is so much money in football, and the potential for law suits so massive, that it will likely be banned across all football within a decade. 

The beautiful game evolves. We will quickly adjust. Kids a few decades hence won't believe people risked brain damage to play, and the ball will spend much more time on the floor. Maybe a "head height" rule like in 5-a-side (is that still a thing?) will be implemented. I feel we'll miss something, but I understand the reasons behind it.

It has to change and it will be interesting but yes tbe beauty of a powerful header will be missed.  The game will miss this variation but tbe technical evolution will be fascinating. 

[Mucker1884]

Pfft!  More nanny state-isms! 🙄

They'll be asking 13 year olds to stop bombing around housing estates on motorbikes without helmets next!  👀

[ram59]

It's already banned in walking football for the over 50's, the refs get quite embarrassed when awarding a free kick against a player who's just had the ball smacked into his face.😁

[Mucker1884]

11 minutes ago, Andrew3000 said:

Heading tbe ball causes repeated countre coup injury as tbe brain, floating in cerebralsp8nal fluid bounces of the bony structures at tbe front of tbe inside of tbe skull. So, yes heads, elbows are bigger issues in comparison but tbe daily repeated damage of heading is significant.

 

7 minutes ago, Andrew3000 said:

It has to change and it will be interesting but yes tbe beauty of a powerful header will be missed.  The game will miss this variation but tbe technical evolution will be fascinating. 

Does it affect typing, does anyone know?

 

[Dean (hick) Saunders]

What next. Banning kicking…

[Cisse]

Soon we can see Haaland with a helmet heading the ball to the top corner.

[Eddie]

5 hours ago, Dean (hick) Saunders said:

What next. Banning kicking…

Are your brains in your feet?

[richinspain]

5 hours ago, Eddie said:

Are your brains in your feet?

Rhetorical question? (In general, not implying the poster you quoted)

[G STAR RAM]

The game may evolve as it becomes the norm but right now its horrific watching kids who could head it up until last season now trying to play without being able to head it.

From this season they are also trialling kick in/dribble in instead of throw ins. Yet another problem that didn't need fixing.

[therealhantsram]

It's already banned in most u11 leagues anyway. Just seem to be making it official.

Interesting to see my son's age group (current u9) will be allowed to continue heading under this new ruling, and yet all the local an national leagues seem to have banned it already. 

Saw a penalty awarded last week for a defender heading the ball. This new regulation introduces kick ins for that offence which I think is a good idea.

 

 

[G STAR RAM]

37 minutes ago, therealhantsram said:

It's already banned in most u11 leagues anyway. Just seem to be making it official.

Interesting to see my son's age group (current u9) will be allowed to continue heading under this new ruling, and yet all the local an national leagues seem to have banned it already. 

Saw a penalty awarded last week for a defender heading the ball. This new regulation introduces kick ins for that offence which I think is a good idea.

It has never supposed to have been a penalty.

It used to be an indirect free kick from where the ball was headed. 

It's now a free kick from the nearest side of the penalty area to where the ball was headed.

 

[therealhantsram]

Change happens. Wonder if the next stage will be to ban headers outside of the penalty areas. Those head tennis phases of play, often from goal kicks, add nothing to the game anyway. 

[MaltRam]

If they do end up banning headers in men's professional football that would the end for me. 

[G STAR RAM]

2 hours ago, therealhantsram said:

Change happens. Wonder if the next stage will be to ban headers outside of the penalty areas. Those head tennis phases of play, often from goal kicks, add nothing to the game anyway. 

Headers are banned full stop?

Unless you are talking about the adults game?

The logic behind banning heading for under 12s is something to do with the skull not being fully developed, or at least that is what we were told.

I see no reason for implementing it into the adult game.

[therealhantsram]

1 minute ago, G STAR RAM said:

Headers are banned full stop?

Unless you are talking about the adults game?

The logic behind banning heading for under 12s is something to do with the skull not being fully developed, or at least that is what we were told.

I see no reason for implementing it into the adult game.

Yes I am thinking in the adults game.

The reason would be to avoid billions in law suits (if FIFA continue to allow it in the face of evidence that shows it causes brain damage in ex-pros leading to dementia, then that would be a case for negligence I would expect).

If at some point the evidence becomes irrefutable, then FIFA will have no choice but to act.

[G STAR RAM]

37 minutes ago, therealhantsram said:

Yes I am thinking in the adults game.

The reason would be to avoid billions in law suits (if FIFA continue to allow it in the face of evidence that shows it causes brain damage in ex-pros leading to dementia, then that would be a case for negligence I would expect).

If at some point the evidence becomes irrefutable, then FIFA will have no choice but to act.

Would be based on historical evidence when balls were different. 

Footballs today are like wind balls!

[nottingram]

18 hours ago, Srg said:

Heading the ball is the issue, not the clashes of heads, flailing elbows and things? Sure. 

For what it’s worth, just like the NFL, know the risks. Don’t break a fundamental part of the game. 

The trouble is those things exist because heading exists.

I don’t know the answer - it’s a huge change but where dementia is concerned we surely need to err on the side of caution. The sport would just have to adapt, and I’m sure it will.