Scottish FA expected to ban children heading footballs within weeks



Fair enough, minimises the risk of any damage to a developing brain.

The bairn has started playing rugby and when they're small they play tag rugby, no tackling. Pretty big part of the game there, doesn't seem to do any harm to player ability to have that coached further down the line.
 
california_surf said:
I can think of Jeff Astle is there any other players that this has affected?
Got to be millions of football players all over the world that have played so would like to see some data for this.
Click to expand...
They did research on Scottish players amd found they were 5 x more likely to get Alzheimers, than a non-footballer.
Martin Peter just died from Alzheimer's the other week, while Nobby Stiles and Ray Wilson both have dementia. That's a canny chunk of the '66 World Cup winning team.
Guinness Guzzler said:
In some ways might it not help them to develop better technical players? No teams able to just hoof it forwards (which happens at every level and age group) so they'll actually have to practice keeping the ball on the floor. I'm sure they'll still head a ball when playing with friends etc so it's not like the skill of jumping for a ball and heading it will be totally lost. If there's a demonstrable risk of it damaging the long term health if kids head the ball (not sure what evidence there is, and whether it is based on the current balls or the hard ones that were used years ago) then it makes sense tbh
Click to expand...
Might encourage them to hoof it up more if defenders can't head it away....
Unless it ends up being below head height.
 
Last edited:
I coach a team of u11s up here and I've never had the boys practising heading in training. Only in the last year they've started to head the ball in games, and it doesn't happen that often. I don't see the need to practice just yet. The SFA actually sent out a directive late last year to stop heading in training and discourage it in games. Unfortunately the hoofball directive is still in force.
 
california_surf said:
I can think of Jeff Astle is there any other players that this has affected?
Got to be millions of football players all over the world that have played so would like to see some data for this.
Click to expand...

Billy McNeil and Ally Macleod are two obvious examples from Scottish football. Chris Sutton's dad, Mike Sutton, is an ex-pro (250 or so league games in the 60s to early 70s) and has dementia (he's in his mid 70s).

With regard to the lighter balls used nowadays, the problem with heading them is that their lightness means that they go at a higher velocity when kicked so heading them can have the same effect. Ultimately, I suspect that players may end up wearing protective head gear.
 
Living in Scotland we did t play on 11s pitches until 12 so heading shouldn’t be a big part of the game until then, should encourage players to be more technical from a younger age too.
 
Didn't denayer refuse to head the ball for precicely this reason. Seem to remember him stating he'd refuse to. Sure he played at cb and not even challenging for them.
 
That'll help improve their national team.
Iballistic George said:
Didn't denayer refuse to head the ball for precicely this reason. Seem to remember him stating he'd refuse to. Sure he played at cb and not even challenging for them.
Click to expand...

Was that not just the excuse he used as he failed to win a solitary header and was frightened of spoiling one of his dreds?
 
Last edited:

Back
Top