Should heading be banned in football?

[RiseAgainst 3,792]

I think @HolgateHerois right that once you ban heading at certain levels of the game, it will diminish its implementation higher up the pyramid. That could profoundly change the game from how it's always been.

That said, my five year-old loves football but his Sunday football club doesn't allow headers either, so I guess there's already informal age restrictions being applied in certain environments.

[Will 2,958]

9 hours ago, HolgateHero said:

And that's all good, but banning heading for children will undoubtedly change the game, and I'm more in favour of a helmet - like the halo in F1 didn't change the sport, just made it safer.

If you haven't been heading a football for 16 years, then you start doing it for real with adults, can you imagine there will be more detrimental effects as people suffer from poor technique? Back and neck injuries as a 17 y/o jumps for his first ever competitive header and is cleared out by a 28 y/o center half with over a decade more knowledge, muscle and understanding of how win a header and how to land after being hit. Genuine question because change one thing and a lot of unexpected things pop up down the line. Whataboutism again I'm sorry! but surely if you don't ask questions around the subject you may end up chasing down a myopic alley without giving consideration to the unintended outcomes.

A scrum cap style helmet would do nothing to aide with concussive and sub-concussive blows to the head, just as it does nothing in rugby for these things. The halo is being repeatedly brought up, yet as I've already pointed out that measure was met with the exact type of over the top reaction as this change has been met with. 

 

 

[Denzel Zanzibar 6,968]

I'm not sure why heading a ball is even that important in the game, you could easily do without it.

[Uwe 3,545]

28 minutes ago, Denzel Zanzibar said:

I'm not sure why heading a ball is even that important in the game, you could easily do without it.

[HolgateHero 601]

17 hours ago, Will said:

A scrum cap style helmet would do nothing to aide with concussive and sub-concussive blows to the head, just as it does nothing in rugby for these things. The halo is being repeatedly brought up, yet as I've already pointed out that measure was met with the exact type of over the top reaction as this change has been met with. 

 

 

They use them in amateur boxing to reduce intensity of impact on skull. When I was boxing it just meant you tried to punch them harder. But certainly an observable difference the day after between being punched on the head with and without one. Just anecdotal though.

You've pointed out people objected to the halo, but there is no comparison. The halo did not change how F1 is raced. The halo was the addition of some safety equipment not a change of the laws of the game. 

Not sure of your point: People argued against the Halo which works, but you are arguing against a helmet because you think it doesn't/wouldn't work?

Helmet technology exists to prevent impact injury to the head (in many, many sports and recreational uses). I simply suggest that is explored before we arrive at what I would class a knee-jerk 'answer' in the absence of any formal data to back it up and with seemingly incomplete knowledge of helmet technology.

It's not an OTT view as far as I'm concerned, although I am probably a bit old school.

Edited July 23, 2022 by HolgateHero

[Will 2,958]

Bump

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-64965253

[AnglianRed 6,320]

On 7/22/2022 at 8:38 PM, HolgateHero said:

They use them in amateur boxing to reduce intensity of impact on skull. When I was boxing it just meant you tried to punch them harder. But certainly an observable difference the day after between being punched on the head with and without one. Just anecdotal though.

You've pointed out people objected to the halo, but there is no comparison. The halo did not change how F1 is raced. The halo was the addition of some safety equipment not a change of the laws of the game. 

Not sure of your point: People argued against the Halo which works, but you are arguing against a helmet because you think it doesn't/wouldn't work?

Helmet technology exists to prevent impact injury to the head (in many, many sports and recreational uses). I simply suggest that is explored before we arrive at what I would class a knee-jerk 'answer' in the absence of any formal data to back it up and with seemingly incomplete knowledge of helmet technology.

It's not an OTT view as far as I'm concerned, although I am probably a bit old school.

I'm pretty sure the technology exists to create a rugby-style scrum cap that would significantly reduce heading impacts.

If they can design ballistics vests that stop bullets, it shouldn't be beyond our capabilities to create caps that would give real protection against repeated heading of footballs...and accidental clashes of heads when 2 players go for the same ball.

Call me old-school, but I think heading is an integral skill and shouldn't be taken out of the game.

Protect young kids by all means, but it should remain in the professional game.

 

EDIT:

While we're on this subject, maybe its also time for another revolution in ball design?

Maybe they should start making balls out of the stuff used to make NERF darts? 🙃 More seriously though, perhaps there is a way to design a surface with more "give" to lessen the impact on the head?

This is the kind of stuff the FA, NHS and universities with strong sports backgrounds (Loughborough?) should be doing research on.

Anyway, my point is, that we should be looking for solutions to problems, rather than just banning stuff because its deemed too dangerous.

 

 

Edited March 17, 2023 by AnglianRed

[Old Codger 3,063]

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2340942-international-rugby-union-players-face-higher-risk-of-dementia/

Risks are increased by many factors including alcohol, depression, contact sports and lack of exercise. Age is also part of it as like any machine, if it runs long enough, the brain will start to deteriorate and the simple truth is that as we find solutions to one problem then the odds of another getting us increase. Possibly improvements can be made but they should not reach the stage where they end up taking all the pleasure out of playing and watching.

[RiseAgainst 3,792]

Hard to argue with scientific studies extending across almost a century. The increased risk of dementia seems irrefutable, since I doubt outfield players will be more likely to smoke or drink than keepers, or have consistently higher risk factors in other areas.

Lighter balls would be an obvious step we could take. Today's balls are already less heavy than the leather ones of yore, and it hasn't harmed the sport. Skull caps would look ridiculous when worn by everyone, but I'd rather see the authorities introduce them than ban heading altogether.

[SmogDane 4,055]

Just a thought ...

If they ban all heading in football ... Imagine Tony Pulis long ball tactics will have a renaissance ... would be hard to defend against .. "here comes that damn high ball again .. gotta let it bounce and see what happens" ...

and

What would happen to corner kicks? 

[ABH 470]

3 minutes ago, SmogDane said:

Just a thought ...

If they ban all heading in football ... Imagine Tony Pulis long ball tactics will have a renaissance ... would be hard to defend against .. "here comes that damn high ball again .. gotta let it bounce and see what happens" ...

and

What would happen to corner kicks? 

I always said he was ahead of he’s time 

[SmogDane 4,055]

50 minutes ago, ABH said:

I always said he was ahead of he’s time 

a"head"

[Redcar Rioja 5,974]

1 hour ago, SmogDane said:

What would happen to corner kicks? 

That's clearly not a concern for Boro 🤣🤣🤣

[AnglianRed 6,320]

23 hours ago, RiseAgainst said:

Hard to argue with scientific studies extending across almost a century. The increased risk of dementia seems irrefutable, since I doubt outfield players will be more likely to smoke or drink than keepers, or have consistently higher risk factors in other areas.

Lighter balls would be an obvious step we could take. Today's balls are already less heavy than the leather ones of yore, and it hasn't harmed the sport. Skull caps would look ridiculous when worn by everyone, but I'd rather see the authorities introduce them than ban heading altogether.

Thats part of the point I was making.

These studies that have everyone so scared include data collected from players way back in the day who were heading much heavier balls.

I'd be amazed if heading modern balls has anything like the same effects, even over a prolonged period...and there is still the option of changing their design further, as new tech becomes available.

As for wearing skull caps or rugby scrum caps, like Petr Cech(?), I agree it would look weird, but I think it beats banning heading. Most people thought halos on F1 cars looked ridiculous, but we've got used to them. 🤷‍♂️

 

[Denzel Zanzibar 6,968]

The Halo has saved at least three F1 drivers from instant death, it's not really an accurate comparison.

And hitting ANYTHING solid with your head on a regular basis is going to do long term damage regardless.