Will heading a ball ever get banned in football?

[Kippaxian]

With all the recent press about injurys sustained through heading the ball, ala Jeff Astle etc and watching the scenes tonight in the FA Cup where it seemed Howkins had a seizure after a heads clash, is this a possibility?

 

[chesterbells]

Hopefully

 

[kaz7]

I'm quite dubious about using data from when the football was very heavy and using it to say heading the much lighter ones we have now has to stop,i think the very young kids need to try not to do it but from say 10yrs old i don't see a problem,you can't really play the game without doing it,especially defenders

 

[ninjamonkey]

If it did, what would happen to the United way?

 

[Pell]

If so, you would have to ban boxing and rugby too.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

I'm quite dubious about using data from when the football was very heavy and using it to say heading the much lighter ones we have now has to stop,i think the very young kids need to try not to do it but from say 10yrs old i don't see a problem,you can't really play the game without doing it,especially defenders

I agree. It's important research, but it's important to realise it's limitations.

I don't have a problem with banning it for kids though. The suggestion I think was to ban it in training but allow it in matches, since the issue is the continuous practice where they might head it 50 times, rather than the once or twice they might get their head on it in an actual game. Plus it'll make them play with their feet more and get rid of this tall lad bias that's plagued English youth football for years.

 

[BosnianBlue]

If so, you would have to ban boxing and rugby too.

It won't get banned on law level, but might at football rules level and I wouldn't compare football and boxing when rules are involved. You get cautioned for pulling somebody's shirt in football, yet crashing someone's head is goal in boxing.

Football wouldn't be same with heading banned, but let's be clear - it's a pretty dangerous thing, specially when done on daily basis. I'd ban it for kids today.

 

[ws01]

If so, you would have to ban boxing and rugby too.

Head contact of almost every kind is now banned in both Rugby codes

 

[Blue Til Death]

Balls these days compared to yesteryear are non comparable, a wet Casey was like a canonball, these days it's not far off heading a balloon... It would be utterly ridiculous to ban heading the ball and the death of the sport, if any semblance of a sport survives VAR..... The risk averse society we Iive in sucks, glad I'm out of it in terms of being involved physically, I'm out as a spectator too if this happens ..... !!

 

[Crouchinho]

Balls these days compared to yesteryear are non comparable, a wet Casey was like a canonball, these days it's not far off heading a balloon... It would be utterly ridiculous to ban heading the ball and the death of the sport, if any semblance of a sport survives VAR..... The risk averse society we Iive in sucks, glad I'm out of it in terms of being involved physically, I'm out as a spectator too if this happens ..... !!

I wouldn't say it's like heading a balloon, but being pelted with one of them at 80mph will still hurt! I was never keen heading a ball, it sent a shudder everytime. In 30 years time I will have the brains of Wayne Rooney