Heading the ball and concussion

[McGrathsipan]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/202...players-told-not-to-head-ball-around-matches/

"Scottish clubs were to be told players should not head the ball in the days immediately before and after games.

The new guidelines from the Scottish Football Association come following further research into concussion and the impact heading in training has on the brain.

As well as effectively banning heading either side of games, the guidelines also recommend that training exercises involving repeated heading should be limited to once per week.

Clubs should also plan and monitor heading activity to ensure it is reduced."


This isnt in anywhere else as far as I know.

The way I see it is that if they are doing this they are admitting that there is correlation between heading the ball regularly and negative outcomes.
This is massive. It could change the way the game is played if it leads to and outright ban on heading. Which in theory it should.

 

[Scandi Red]

Game's gone!!!

Seriously though... A heading ban would be a total game changer. If every high ball needs to be chested or allowed to nearly hit the ground first, then it completely changes the way you defend. Crosses would become way more predictable and easy to deal with. Corners would become almost useless.

 

[golden_blunder]

And breathe again Victor..

 

[Vidyoyo]

And breathe again Victor..

 

[top1whoisman]

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[The Corinthian]

They should just get players to wear extra padding on their heads a la Cech or Jiménez. I’m sure that would minimise some of the potential harm when heading a ball.

 

[padr81]

People don't like it but the day is coming when heading will be completely banned and football will have to make some huge changes to accodomate. Its weird but I believe its coming. Boxing and footie have the 2 highest rates of dementia and alzeimhers even compared to american had egg, so its going to change for sure eventually.

 

[SER19]

Changing the rule to the ball only being allowed to be headed in the box would be enough. How many times a game does a given player do it? Most are probably close to zero and it would eradicate heading from long range clearances or kick outs coming from a height, while still allowing headed goals and not changing that aspect of the game.

 

[padr81]

They should just get players to wear extra padding on their heads a la Cech or Jiménez. I’m sure that would minimise some of the potential harm when heading a ball.

Its been removed from boxing for the opposite reason. Headgear was causing more not less concussion. While football is somewhat different I believe rugby etc.. has all shown to be somewhat the same. headgear has been shown to only prevent impact injuries and more superficial ones but makes people more likely to wrack up brain trauma.

 

[bosnian_red]

I can see protective gear being implemented and I don't think it would impact anything negatively. I can't see them eliminating heading, and wouldn't agree with it personally even with the link to dementia. There's risk to every sport is how I see that. Is what it is.

 

[Tom Cato]

They should just get players to wear extra padding on their heads a la Cech or Jiménez. I’m sure that would minimise some of the potential harm when heading a ball.

That makes sense if you think of it as padding that protects everything, but it doesnt do a lot of distribute the force of the impact, it just cushions it and protects the exterior shell, your cranium. The brain is suspended in cerebrospinal fluid, and the energy from heading the ball still travels through your body, rocking the brain about just a tiny bit.

I think that the steps they are taking to ban heading for U12s is a good place to start. I dont belive a rule change on the pitch that bans heading in any area of the field will ever take place in the game. Teams can actively take measure to reduce any heading-play training to 1 day per week, or for periods not at all. That would be a significant step in both recognising the increased risk, and hopefully reducing degenerative brain disease in late stages of life for professional footballers.

 

[Red in STL]

I can see protective gear being implemented and I don't think it would impact anything negatively. I can't see them eliminating heading, and wouldn't agree with it personally even with the link to dementia. There's risk to every sport is how I see that. Is what it is.

Heading will ultimately be banned, the studies being done are quite clearly showing there is a link between heading and Dementia, there's risk and there's avoidable risk and this falls under the latter., parents will stop their kids from playing, it already happens now in America with American football

 

[padr81]

I can see protective gear being implemented and I don't think it would impact anything negatively. I can't see them eliminating heading, and wouldn't agree with it personally even with the link to dementia. There's risk to every sport is how I see that. Is what it is.

Concussion and its related elements are generally caused by the brain bouncing around in the head, lessening the impact will have very little impact on that.

Heading a football is taking around 80% of a punch from a pro boxer. No headgear is gonna remove brain bounce.

The most likely scenario is it gets coached out of the game without ever being banned or only training banned as Tom says above.

Reducing the number of headers will have a far greater impact than wearing some padding.

 

[mitChley]

Purely anecdotal but my granddad played up front for a few clubs (Mainly Port Vale and Crewe) and he had/developed dementia.

 

[The holy trinity 68]

People don't like it but the day is coming when heading will be completely banned and football will have to make some huge changes to accodomate. Its weird but I believe its coming. Boxing and footie have the 2 highest rates of dementia and alzeimhers even compared to american had egg, so its going to change for sure eventually.

Maybe in them two specific diseases, but American Football has a much higher rate of brain damage than football, especially if you consider much more people play football than American football.

 

[Tincanalley]

It’s an awful dilemma. It’s a great part of the game, but when it’s a health issue it’s just impossible to argue. Effectively would be the end of the game as we know it. I hate whataboutery but … what about cage fighting and stuff like that? Boxing? Rugby? Motor sports? Soccer seems far removed from that level of health risk. On the other hand saw someone take a full drive in the face in last nights game. Occasionally you see players put their heads in ‘harms way’ defending free kicks etc.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Changing the rule to the ball only being allowed to be headed in the box would be enough. How many times a game does a given player do it? Most are probably close to zero and it would eradicate heading from long range clearances or kick outs coming from a height, while still allowing headed goals and not changing that aspect of the game.

That’s a good idea.

 

[sullydnl]

Lets say heading the ball was banned. What tactical shifts would that prompt in the game? Presumably quite a lot would change.

 

[top1whoisman]

Lets say heading the ball was banned. What tactical shifts would that prompt in the game? Presumably quite a lot would change.

I think players would be coached to stand on their head and win "headers" with their feet.

 

[lex talionis]

Head-to-head contact in American football is far more vicious than a (real) football-to-head contact could ever be.

But baseball-to-face contact is nasty too. We see batters hit in the head/face pretty frequently at all levels of the game. But what about fans?

I shit you not I was at this game in 1970 and it happened a few seats to my right. I never knew the kid's name until a few years ago when I looked it up on the internet.

https://www.ajc.com/news/local/the-ball-came-out-nowhere-very-fast/vos2SmRuei2u1126cBHIIM/

 

[UpWithRivers]

I dont think many of them have many brain cells to start with

 

[bosnian_red]

Lets say heading the ball was banned. What tactical shifts would that prompt in the game? Presumably quite a lot would change.

Tall center backs would be extinct, long balls would be OP to start

 

[Red in STL]

Changing the rule to the ball only being allowed to be headed in the box would be enough. How many times a game does a given player do it? Most are probably close to zero and it would eradicate heading from long range clearances or kick outs coming from a height, while still allowing headed goals and not changing that aspect of the game.

And can you imagine the VAR checks to see if the ball was in the box, it'll be dodgy lines again!

 

[bosnian_red]

Heading will ultimately be banned, the studies being done are quite clearly showing there is a link between heading and Dementia, there's risk and there's avoidable risk and this falls under the latter., parents will stop their kids from playing, it already happens now in America with American football

Is it really an avoidable risk? It's a core part of the game. It's a sport. With sport comes risk. Regardless of studies showing it has an impact, it is still a core part of football. Just like football is horrible on knees. Nothing you can do about it actually though, and it's something that comes with the territory. Little things by advising they reduce frequency of practicing them, sure. But actually changing the game? Nah. I don't want to see that and it's a ridiculously drastic change that would have a drastic effect on the game.

 

[Red in STL]

Maybe in them two specific diseases, but American Football has a much higher rate of brain damage than football, especially if you consider much more people play football than American football.

Yeah but in football they don't "tackle" with their head of have a random number of 300Ib gorillas piling on them

 

[Red in STL]

Is it really an avoidable risk? It's a core part of the game. It's a sport. With sport comes risk. Regardless of studies showing it has an impact, it is still a core part of football. Just like football is horrible on knees. Nothing you can do about it actually though, and it's something that comes with the territory. Little things by advising they reduce frequency of practicing them, sure. But actually changing the game? Nah. I don't want to see that and it's a ridiculously drastic change that would have a drastic effect on the game.

Yes it is an avoidable risk, U12's are being banned from heading which means it's possible, I'm not sure I'd want to see the change but in this day and age of litigation etc it'll happen at some point, preferably when I'm gone, the cost of Dementia in financial terms is massive, if football doesn't change then politicians will do it for them because ultimately the state will be the one paying

As for drastic change, that's already happened, in my lifetime we've gone from no subs, to one, to two, to three and now five, that has had a dramatic effect on how the game is played, same with the ules on tackling and how yellow and red cards are given, one thingbthat hasn't happened, the refs are still shit

 

[SER19]

And can you imagine the VAR checks to see if the ball was in the box, it'll be dodgy lines again!

I'm sure they'd find a way to make it terrible!

 

[Red in STL]

I'm sure they'd find a way to make it terrible!

They don't need to, it's already there, unless all players go full Pep/ETH it will be a check to see if it touched a stray hair or not!

 

[Physiocrat]

Is it really an avoidable risk? It's a core part of the game. It's a sport. With sport comes risk. Regardless of studies showing it has an impact, it is still a core part of football. Just like football is horrible on knees. Nothing you can do about it actually though, and it's something that comes with the territory. Little things by advising they reduce frequency of practicing them, sure. But actually changing the game? Nah. I don't want to see that and it's a ridiculously drastic change that would have a drastic effect on the game.

Great point about the knees. Batistuta was close to having one of his legs partially amputated in retirement because of the severe pain.

Also with the whole dementia stuff I would like to see them look at the past from when balls were relevantly similar to today. Back in the 50s and 60s the ball could take on a lot of water and become significantly heavier.

 

[RedPed]

Seriously, they need to just feck off with this concussion shit whilst you got people punching and kicking heads in every day of the week all in the name of sport.

There has to be more deaths and long term brain injuries caused through boxing than in football. Doesn't make any fecking sense!

 

[McTerminator]

Heading will ultimately be banned, the studies being done are quite clearly showing there is a link between heading and Dementia, there's risk and there's avoidable risk and this falls under the latter., parents will stop their kids from playing, it already happens now in America with American football

Deep sea fishing has a stupidly high death rate, it isn’t banned and people still go and do it for the money. Footballers are paid much more.

People just need to get a grip and stop nannying everyone.

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

Taking a goal kick or a long clearance on your head rattles the living feck out of your brain. I always hated it.

Using your head to score a goal never had the same impact () on me.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Maybe in them two specific diseases, but American Football has a much higher rate of brain damage than football, especially if you consider much more people play football than American football.

Also it’s much more difficult to diagnose brain damage in an American.

hehe

 

[tothetop96]

Game's gone!!!

Seriously though... A heading ban would be a total game changer. If every high ball needs to be chested or allowed to nearly hit the ground first, then it completely changes the way you defend. Crosses would become way more predictable and easy to deal with. Corners would become almost useless.

Except the defending team can't head the ball either, hard to deal with a cross when you can only chest it/volley it when it's at an awkward height

 

[DJ Jeff]

Game's gone!!!

Seriously though... A heading ban would be a total game changer. If every high ball needs to be chested or allowed to nearly hit the ground first, then it completely changes the way you defend. Crosses would become way more predictable and easy to deal with. Corners would become almost useless.

I think we'd lose so much in the game as a spectacle. Imagine that Ronaldo header in Moscow never happening..

 

[tothetop96]

Heading should 100% be banned. It's actually madness. Imagine you were brought up and you'd never seen football in your life, then someone showed you a game and you saw players throwing their head at a ball. You'd think it was the most insane sport ever.

If headers cause brain damage then players should be protected and it shouldn't be in the rules. Whatever we'd lose from headers we would absolutely no doubt gain in players becoming world class at shouldering the ball from crosses. And if anyone thinks that sounds weird or daft, it's absolutely no weirder or dafter than throwing your head at a ball, you're just not used to it.

All the moaners would soon get over it. Tradition is not worth players getting fecked up in the head over.

 

[Stack]

All the what aboutisms being thrown around are crazy. Just because one thing is done there doesnt make it ok elsewhere.
Its a problem, it needs to be sorted out. A ban on heading would change the game but wouldnt ruin it.
As it is as a percentage of touches of the ball heading is really pretty low anyway.
New techniques and skills will move in to fill the void.

 

[Red in STL]

Deep sea fishing has a stupidly high death rate, it isn’t banned and people still go and do it for the money. Footballers are paid much more.

People just need to get a grip and stop nannying everyone.

We aren't talking about death, we're talking about living death, and the vast majority of people who play football aren't well paid at alln

All I can say is, if you ever have a close friend or relative suffer from it you'll change your tune soon enough

 

[McTerminator]

We aren't talking about death, we're talking about living death, and the vast majority of people who play football aren't well paid at alln

All I can say is, if you ever have a close friend or relative suffer from it you'll change your tune soon enough

I do and he had a good life and lived it the way he wanted (a few games of footy included).

 

[criticalanalysis]

Tall center backs would be extinct, long balls would be OP to start

Or the opposite. A team full of Fellainis beautifully chest controlling long balls

The touch compilations would rival Berbatov in 2030.