Should we ban heading under 17?

[Unregistered]

How many more of our children have to suffer life changing injuries before we say enough is enough?

The science is not in doubt and health professionals will tell you that the Flax Cerebri, Tentorium Cerebelli and the main Meninges that hold the brain in place are simply not matured enough to absorb the hits of even slightly off headers until 17. The risks of a brain bruise (concussion) increases with the speed of the ball and go up another factor when the angle of the ball is from the side.

Now add in the strength of the neck muscles and the players ability to power through the header or at least not have the head be pushed back and the risk of injury grows with younger players of either sex and even older girls who have been shown to be more susceptible.

What the medical community will tell you is that the reason that players who have one concussion are more susceptible to another is that the aforementioned tethers have been stretched therefore the brain is literally looser inside the head and more easily slammed into the skull which causes a concussion.

I know that the purists will scream that heading is part of the game but the key word is GAME. Does a "game" heading ban mean that players can't practice headers with lighter balls in controlled practices? No, just that placing the only brain a child has at risk for the purists demand is insane IMHO.

The medical professionals will tell you that they would like the heading ban extended until 17 years of age because by then the tethers have matured and can hold up "better" to higher velocity impacts. The maturity of the tethers, volume of proper training and the strength of the neck muscles is why all of the purists will say they have been heading for years without a problem but they were lucky enough not to have had a concussion at an early age or maybe the effects of the ones they did suffer are impairing their judgment in this case.

However just like the retired NFL players retired professional soccer players are reporting similar mental impairments. A German study of retired soccer players found that they had significantly impaired mental functions so I imagine that FIFA is as afraid of this becoming an issue as the NFL but there is no hiding the effects any longer.


http://www.philly.com/philly/health/...tudy_Says.html

http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article....ticleid=191458

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0113072440.htm

[Unregistered]

100% behind it. Would have been better to institute that over what they did with the U9's and 10's this year. Just simply ban any heading.

[Unregistered]

How many more of our children have to suffer life changing injuries before we say enough is enough?

The science is not in doubt and health professionals will tell you that the Flax Cerebri, Tentorium Cerebelli and the main Meninges that hold the brain in place are simply not matured enough to absorb the hits of even slightly off headers until 17. The risks of a brain bruise (concussion) increases with the speed of the ball and go up another factor when the angle of the ball is from the side.

Now add in the strength of the neck muscles and the players ability to power through the header or at least not have the head be pushed back and the risk of injury grows with younger players of either sex and even older girls who have been shown to be more susceptible.

What the medical community will tell you is that the reason that players who have one concussion are more susceptible to another is that the aforementioned tethers have been stretched therefore the brain is literally looser inside the head and more easily slammed into the skull which causes a concussion.

I know that the purists will scream that heading is part of the game but the key word is GAME. Does a "game" heading ban mean that players can't practice headers with lighter balls in controlled practices? No, just that placing the only brain a child has at risk for the purists demand is insane IMHO.

The medical professionals will tell you that they would like the heading ban extended until 17 years of age because by then the tethers have matured and can hold up "better" to higher velocity impacts. The maturity of the tethers, volume of proper training and the strength of the neck muscles is why all of the purists will say they have been heading for years without a problem but they were lucky enough not to have had a concussion at an early age or maybe the effects of the ones they did suffer are impairing their judgment in this case.

However just like the retired NFL players retired professional soccer players are reporting similar mental impairments. A German study of retired soccer players found that they had significantly impaired mental functions so I imagine that FIFA is as afraid of this becoming an issue as the NFL but there is no hiding the effects any longer.


http://www.philly.com/philly/health/...tudy_Says.html

http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article....ticleid=191458

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0113072440.htm

I'm fairly certain that any parent would be for banning heading in younger kids. From what I've read, most pediatricians, as well as one of the foremost researchers on the subject, agree that children should not head the ball until they are older than 14.

[Unregistered]

It is very logical and I think you would find nearly 100% support among parents.

The risk is too high. My daughter guested for a team this weekend that played a goalie that punted the ball a mile high and my dd must have had 20 big hard headers. It made me cringe to the point I was going to tell her to stop.

I personally think that other than shots on goal there are better ways to control the ball anyway.

[Unregistered]

I guess I should do some research on it. After following soccer for the past 30 years I have rarely seen concussions from heading the ball. I could probably count under 10 possible concussions that I can think of from an intentional header of the ball, and everyone of those was by someone who use horrible technique so the ball did not hit them correctly. Almost every concussion I have seen from soccer has come from: having the ball kicked in your face (not intentional header), head hitting the ground after body contact knocks to you to the ground, ect. So basically what I am saying is I haven't seen any concussions from proper heading of the ball. Now does that mean I am right, of course not. But I just wonder how much banning that will really solve the issue with head injuries, and until it is banned and research is done I guess we will never know.

[Unregistered]

How many more of our children have to suffer life changing injuries before we say enough is enough?

The science is not in doubt and health professionals will tell you that the Flax Cerebri, Tentorium Cerebelli and the main Meninges that hold the brain in place are simply not matured enough to absorb the hits of even slightly off headers until 17. The risks of a brain bruise (concussion) increases with the speed of the ball and go up another factor when the angle of the ball is from the side.

Now add in the strength of the neck muscles and the players ability to power through the header or at least not have the head be pushed back and the risk of injury grows with younger players of either sex and even older girls who have been shown to be more susceptible.

What the medical community will tell you is that the reason that players who have one concussion are more susceptible to another is that the aforementioned tethers have been stretched therefore the brain is literally looser inside the head and more easily slammed into the skull which causes a concussion.

I know that the purists will scream that heading is part of the game but the key word is GAME. Does a "game" heading ban mean that players can't practice headers with lighter balls in controlled practices? No, just that placing the only brain a child has at risk for the purists demand is insane IMHO.

The medical professionals will tell you that they would like the heading ban extended until 17 years of age because by then the tethers have matured and can hold up "better" to higher velocity impacts. The maturity of the tethers, volume of proper training and the strength of the neck muscles is why all of the purists will say they have been heading for years without a problem but they were lucky enough not to have had a concussion at an early age or maybe the effects of the ones they did suffer are impairing their judgment in this case.

However just like the retired NFL players retired professional soccer players are reporting similar mental impairments. A German study of retired soccer players found that they had significantly impaired mental functions so I imagine that FIFA is as afraid of this becoming an issue as the NFL but there is no hiding the effects any longer.


http://www.philly.com/philly/health/...tudy_Says.html

http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article....ticleid=191458

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0113072440.htm

heading the ball isn't the issue....when two players hit heads is the danger.

most of the literature on this is of players that played many years ago with a leather ball that weighed up to 10lbs when wet....the equipment that the players play with these days is much safer.

[Unregistered]

Heading the ball becomes a problem when you have an accumulation. Just like with american football. Most don't notice much until they get into their 50's and 60's.

[Unregistered]

Ban? No. Discourage, yes.

If we concentrate on actually developing real players the ball will stay on the deck where it belongs.

[Unregistered]

My DDs team had 6 girls in the same year with concussions from soccer. Of those 6 players, 4 had a second concussion from heading the ball. Concussions don't come from heading the ball, it would take thousands of headers for that to happen. The risk for those who have already suffered a concussion is very very scary and IMO those are the players who should NOT be heading the ball, especially from a keepers punt.

[Unregistered]

Ban? No. Discourage, yes.

If we concentrate on actually developing real players the ball will stay on the deck where it belongs.

I don't know. At just about every level the ball is airborne a lot. Just at a different pace.

[Unregistered]

It would seem that if it were banned altogether that our players would be even less prepared to play at the higher levels where heading seems to be a common thing. Unfortunately all sports seem to carry risks and injury. Maybe they could wear protection? If it were the norm then it would look so dorky.

[Unregistered]

I do not believe that the head protection has been shown to have much benefit in avoiding concussions from heading soccer balls. The majority of soccer related concussions are not caused by heading soccer balls. It's from player to player contact. Most of the testimonials for soccer headgear seem to come from clubs, teams, coaches, sponsored by the manufacturers. Is it a problem needing a solution, or someone with a solution to sell that needs a problem to fix so long as it's at a reasonable price.

[Unregistered]

It is very logical and I think you would find nearly 100% support among parents.

The risk is too high. My daughter guested for a team this weekend that played a goalie that punted the ball a mile high and my dd must have had 20 big hard headers. It made me cringe to the point I was going to tell her to stop.

I personally think that other than shots on goal there are better ways to control the ball anyway.

Just tell your DD to avoid heading the ball. No rule changes required. There is no requirement that she head the ball.

[Unregistered]

Just tell your DD to avoid heading the ball. No rule changes required. There is no requirement that she head the ball.

Except that no "A" team coach will pick you DD up at tryouts.

[Unregistered]

Except that no "A" team coach will pick you DD up at tryouts.

So play on a "B" team then if it's such a big deal to you. If you think you're putting your DD in harm's way, you have options.