Heading in the right direction?
The FA – across England & Scotland – has banned heading the ball for players aged under 12. This follows increased medical arguments that heading can cause brain injury and is linked to dementia. In the US there has been a similar ban since 2015, and campaigners in the UK have been asking for Football’s governing bodies to look more seriously at the risks.
The new rule is aimed at phasing out heading the ball completely in football, starting with banning it for the younger teams. The rule was introduced after the International Football Association Board tested it out over two seasons.
What are the changes?
With the new rule, deliberately heading the ball will mean the opposite team are awarded an indirect free-kick.
This will be taken at the point the ball was headed, or if in the penalty area, the game will restart at the nearest sideline of the penalty area.
Duncan Sutcliffe’s thoughts
Duncan Sutcliffe, director, Mann Broadbent comments:
“Undoubtedly, heading a ball is different to what it used to be; there is a growing call to change the sport to reduce the risks. This could be taken to extremes because risk is an inherent part of sport; do we ban all risk-taking whilst we are also trying to encourage more activity and participation in sport to counter obesity and inactivity? Which is worse: heading a ball or a sedentary lifestyle?
“Surely a compromise can be met. Football will still be football without headers, but will it still be the Beautiful Game?”
“My son has been a keen footballer since he could walk and took to heading with ease. However, it makes me wince every time the goalkeeper kicks a long ball, and my son returns it with a header, with much encouragement from his coaches. There must be aspects of headers that can be removed without spoiling the game for players & spectators.
“It is reassuring to see the FA, FIFA and other governing bodies face the fact that this issue must be resolved. By procrastinating and ignoring the issue, are we going to have to face the consequences in the future? Is this another covered-up scandal along the lines of asbestos, thalidomide, child abuse, etc? Will ignoring this see huge class action lawsuits in 10 years’ time?
“As insurance brokers, risk management is our business. All risks cannot be removed, but should be assessed and reduced where possible to allow activities to take place reasonably safely.
“Prevention is better than cure, and at the moment, I am unaware of a cure for dementia.”
Has this affected any players in the past?
Former England football captain Terry Butcher suggested that the ball should be headed out of football to reduce the risk of brain injuries. This statement follows a series of cases of dementia in well-known footballers, including Nobby Stiles, who was the 5th member of England’s 1966 World Cup-winning squad to be diagnosed with Dementia.
An increasing amount of research is being carried out looking into the link between heading and injury, with one study showing footballers are over 3 times more likely to die of dementia than the general population.
The governing bodies of football have taken some steps to address the issue, such as the English FA limiting heading in training for children, but it still remains a part of the sport.
