Opinion: is it Now Time to Ban Kids Heading The football in Their Matches?
Iconic: But should Robin van Persie’s wonder-header be recreated by younger players?
Some of the most iconic goals have come from heading the ball, from David Gray’s last-minute winner in the Scottish Cup Final in 2016 to Robin Van Persie’s looping effort in the 2014 World Cup. Heading in football plays an important role in the beautiful game but it’s time that we start talking about the negative effects it is having on the livelihoods of players after they retire.
There are some serious links that heading the football is contributing towards players suffering some sort of brain damage or memory loss. Billy McNeill, a Lisbon Lion and one of Scotland’s greatest ever players was a sufferer of dementia and his family was very open about the issue. The family voiced concerns that more work needs to be done to look into the links between football causing these problems to players.
Football in training has been banned for children under the age of 11 across the UK, however, that is only at training and can still be done in-game as well as at a park with their friends. Also, the body is always developing until at least 25 so should heading the ball in training be banned until then?
The place that would be best to start is with children under the age of 18, this is the age in which the brain is fully developed and therefore lessen the risks of a player sustaining brain injuries.
Dr Bennet Omalu, a physician, said: "Kids under the age of 12 to 14 should play a less contact form of soccer which we should develop for them. Kids between 12 and 18 can play but should not head the ball.
Omalu was the first to discover and publish his findings of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in American footballers, this is a progressive brain condition that is caused by repeated blows on the head. He fears the same could be true with football as it is unnatural to deflect a ball away travelling at such a speed constantly throughout a game.
As further evidence is revealed we need to start looking at the bigger picture and realise that not being able to head the ball in the children’s game is a small price to pay to have less risk of facing life-changing conditions.
The game is always evolving anyway and there is always something new getting added or taken away so why can’t this be the next step forward?