FA have no plans to copy US ban on headers

There will be those who decry “a nanny state gone mad” should it happen here, but there was logic as well as the threat of legislation behind the United States Soccer Federation’s decision yesterday to ban headers for children under the age of 11 and drastically reduce it for under-14s.

While enforcement in matches will be problematic, it follows growing awareness of the risk of incurring brain injury through constantly heading a football.

The Football Association reacted cautiously, indicating that while it would continue to monitor research – it has already set up a body to examine the issue – there was no desire to ban heading in any age group.

US Soccer said they planned to “eliminate heading for children 10 and under and limit heading in practice for children between the ages of 11 and 13”. They were acting in response to litigation from a group of players and parents who say there were 50,000 concussion incidents a year in American junior soccer.

US Soccer, which also plans to allow extra substitutes in case of a head injury, can only impose the changes in their own national teams and academies, and those of Major League Soccer clubs, but recommend that local associations follow suit.

The FA convened an independent panel of head injury and concussion specialists in April with a brief to review guidelines in the English amateur and professional game. The governing body was prodded into action due to the work of the Jeff Astle Foundation, a campaign group founded in honour of the former West Bromwich Albion and England striker who died in 2002 at the age of 59.

Astle, who was known for his heading prowess, was the first British player confirmed to have died from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive, degenerative brain disease once known as “punch-drunk” as it was first noted in ex-boxers.

It is thought to be a consequence of suffering multiple concussions, such as the low-level impact of heading a football. Personal observation would suggest children under 10 rarely head the ball in matches, and then only occasionally at a corner or when a goalkeeper is kicking from hand. As players get older, and more powerful, the ball is in the air more often but even at under-14 level heading is relatively uncommon.

There is thus no reason for players to practise heading beyond a brief instruction to ensure if they do head the ball they use the forehead rather than letting the ball hit the middle of their scalp or the side of the head. This does not stop ill-informed coaches and parents doing heading routines and US Soccer’s plan to heighten awareness of the risks is well-advised and could do with following here.