The British professional soccer players’ union called for restrictions on heading the ball, in order to prevent brain damage.
Sports already take severe head impacts and concussions seriously, with protocols to remove players after collisions. But researchers worry that repeated, less dramatic blows, such as heading the ball, can also have long-term effects; there is evidence that players who regularly head the ball are at greater risk of dementia than those, such as goalkeepers, who do not.
The proposed changes would ban heading for under-12s and restrict professionals to just a few headers a week, even in training. Some scientists, though, warn that overstating the dangers of sport could put children off it, and that participation’s health benefits outweigh the risks.