Why children 'should be banned from heading footballs' - Dr Grey

[GoingUp]

Is this health and safety gone mad?



SOURCE:
https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blog...ldren-banned-heading-footballs-123628082.html


It has long been said that English footballers are over-coached and over-protected, causing a lack of instinctive play on the field.

Well, that could be a problem which is exacerbated if advice from a top motor neuro-science expert is taken on board, coupled with new guidelines from the FA.

Dr Michael Grey, who is a specialist in brain damage studies at the University of Birmingham, believes that young children should be banned from heading the ball.

Why? Quite simply, he argues, because it is too dangerous.

Grey says that the impact of a football against the skull causes brain damage, and young children are particularly at risk.

Dr Grey told Sky News: "I do not think that children should stop sport, the obesity epidemic means we need to encourage them.

"But we do need to look at rule changes and the way we train children.

"Children should not be heading the ball. We don’t know at what age children’s necks become strong enough to withstand the movement of the head when the head is struck by the ball.

"Some of my colleagues have suggested 14 but I really think it is individual. In addition the brain starts to shake and rotates when the head is struck by the ball.

"The brain bounces back and forth and it is the impact of the brain against the inside of the skull causes additional damage."

Grey believes that children's neck muscles are simply not developed sufficiently to be able to cope with the shock of impact of heading footballs.

Scans have reportedly revealed damage to the brains of professional players over the years, and Grey's views come as the FA issues new guidelines on concussion and head injuries.

As it will now apply, if a player loses consciousness they must be immediately taken off the pitch and not allowed to return to the field.

The World Cup in Brazil saw two very memorable incidents of dangerous concussion with both Javier Mascherano - in the semi-final, no less - and Uruguay's Alvaro Pereira against England continuing to play on despite looking dangerously bewildered.

 

[GT49er]

Too right it's elfin safety gone mad - although it would have saved us from a good deal of pain in the 1960's. Just then, the coaching mantra in schools was to trap the ball and pass it along the ground with the side of the foot, and to facilitate this it was deemed necessary to use balls that were properly round and ran true (those old leather ones did get a bit lumpy and out of shape and swerve a bit).....so we had to play with basket balls - and they bl**dy hurt when you head them!

On the other hand, it might be interesting to experiment with banning heading (except in the penalty areas) - it might rid us of those boring games of head tennis which we're sometimes unlucky enough to end up watching!

 

[El Turi]

I headered alowt of footballes wen I woz yunger and it aint dun me no ham.

 

[GoingUp]

Too right it's elfin safety gone mad - although it would have saved us from a good deal of pain in the 1960's. Just then, the coaching mantra in schools was to trap the ball and pass it along the ground with the side of the foot, and to facilitate this it was deemed necessary to use balls that were properly round and ran true (those old leather ones did get a bit lumpy and out of shape and swerve a bit).....so we had to play with basket balls - and they bl**dy hurt when you head them!

On the other hand, it might be interesting to experiment with banning heading (except in the penalty areas) - it might rid us of those boring games of head tennis which we're sometimes unlucky enough to end up watching!

Its crazy isnt it, and to be honest kids dont tend to header the ball that much anyways, and if they do manage to kick the high enough from a corner its not like Ronaldo has smashed a ball across at 100mph.

Though you made me think when you said it might get rid of head tennis, it could also make coaches keep the ball on the floor and pass? It probably wont make much difference to our game really though! Just a thought.

I headered alowt of footballes wen I woz yunger and it aint dun me no ham.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

I would ban it. I am not sure how it would be implemented - but I would definitely ban heading from goalkeeper kicks from hand, and possibly goal-kicks as well.

 

[Braders]

Well that explains my stupidity at least

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Well that explains my stupidity at least

Same.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

What did Dr Grey have to say about rugby?

Looking at it, devoid of crying PC gone mad; human rights to head the ball; and elf and safety, he's presumably better placed to judge whether or not, heading the ball will cause signifocant or insignificant damage to a young head.

Is it sensible or is it all a bit cottpn wool?

 

[Spun Cuppa]

A recent study 'showed' ex-centre halves were 5% dimmer than ex-players from all other positions, which supposedly showed that heading the ball caused brain damage. An ex-pro commented that centrehalves by nature were dimmer than other positions from the start of their careers

(Ex no.4)

 

[drew]

I bet Dr Michael Grey plays cricket!!!!

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I bet Dr Michael Grey plays cricket!!!!

I would say the four times I have been hit on the head by a cricket ball (only once with a helmet) were far more damaging than anything football related, but I was only a goalkeeper.

 

[Ken Livingstone Seagull]

As unpopular and PC as saying this may sound (except to the erudite DKM), I would definitely restrict heading the ball, for kids at least. Or mandate Petr Cech-style headgear to soften the impact. As a youth ref and former coach, I often flinch at the force of impact on young, growing brains by towering balls headed along. When 13 and 14 year-olds play with a full-size and sometimes "heavy" ball (if wet), and in an era when concussions are becoming acknowledged as a real career-threatener, some headers are the same as a haymaker to the head especially if not headed "right".

The US Soccer Federation and high school authorities have sent edits for refs on how to spot and diagnose potential concussions and deal with accordingly (replace with sub and disallow further participation). The examples in the World Cup of clearly concussed players continuing was a total travesty. Repeated concussions can cause brain-stem swelling and long-term memory loss.

What was I just saying?

Oh yeah. On ESPN radio here recently, a very sad documentary story was aired about a star University of Mew Mexico central defender who died (age mid-20s) from a degenerative condition ascribed to several on-field concussions and constant heading of the ball.

Even in American (gridiron) football, steps are now being taken to minimize concussions and to treat them totally differently. Helped (of course) by a huge lawsuit from former concussed players and several ex-player suicides probably induced by head trauma and concussions (e.g. Junior Seau).

It may be a few that are ever affected, but what if it was your son?

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

What did Dr Grey have to say about rugby?

Looking at it, devoid of crying PC gone mad; human rights to head the ball; and elf and safety, he's presumably better placed to judge whether or not, heading the ball will cause signifocant or insignificant damage to a young head.

Is it sensible or is it all a bit cottpn wool?

Children's rugby is a 7 a side non-contact sport without scrums, lineouts etc and kicking (place or from hand) until the kids are aged eight. These restrictions are gradually relaxed until they're operating full team and rules (I think) at age 14. Back in the 1990's (when I was last involved with Mini/Junior rugby) lead coaches for each age group had to be formally qualified, most of the coaches were trained 1st aiders and each kid/player was insured; this was insisted upon by the RFU.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Children's rugby is a 7 a side non-contact sport without scrums, lineouts etc and kicking (place or from hand) until the kids are aged eight. These restrictions are gradually relaxed until they're operating full team and rules (I think) at age 14. Back in the 1990's (when I was last involved with Mini/Junior rugby) lead coaches for each age group had to be formally qualified, most of the coaches were trained 1st aiders and each kid/player was insured; this was insisted upon by the RFU.

I went to a very old fashioned prep school and we were full contact at 7 (1987), if my memory serves me correctly. Greyhound bookie, Chas Miller, was our coach and his ethos was 'the bigger they are, the harder they fall'.

 

[Creaky]

I went to a very old fashioned prep school and we were full contact at 7 (1987), if my memory serves me correctly. Greyhound bookie, Chas Miller, was our coach and his ethos was 'the bigger they are, the harder they fall'.

Likewise - the RFU have over the years however recognised the potential dangers of youngsters playing full contact rugby and the changes to the training and playing rules have not only made the game safer for young people but also seems to be producing more and more skillful players.

If heading footballs really does have a potential long term danger attached to it as Dr Michael Grey claims then I bow to his knowledge because he certainly is in a better position to make such claims than I am to refute them.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Likewise - the RFU have over the years however recognised the potential dangers of youngsters playing full contact rugby and the changes to the training and playing rules have not only made the game safer for young people but also seems to be producing more and more skillful players.

If heading footballs really does have a potential long term danger attached to it as Dr Michael Grey claims then I bow to his knowledge because he certainly is in a better position to make such claims than I am to refute them.

Exactly. I think it has definitely worked out for the best in rugby as far as junior levels are concerned.

However, we are yet to see the results of every player being built like a speedy brick shithouse as opposed to a meandering shit brickhouse.

 

[GoingUp]

Concussions from sports like Rugby and American football come from getting clattered from repetitive impact tackles though, not heading a ball.

Im a sports coach (in a range of sports) and I box, so Im not discrediting any report and trying to sound 'old skool', I realise the seriousness of concussions and neck injuries, but like I said, kids rarely header the ball anyway, most of the time they duck! If a coach was doing heading drills from set pieces every week, then yes I would agree its bad, but thats not the case. They fall over and wack their heads much worse at home and at school, then any heading of the ball every now and then.

A full time professional CB like Steve Bruce, who stuck his head in the way nearly every day for 20years (with training and match days), yes I can see the issues popping up, but how many footballers walk around punch drunk?

IMO kids heading a ball every now and then is not gonna hurt them, its life, like I said I don't wanna sound like a dinosaur, Im in my mid 20's, but its true what they say you cant wrap them up in cotton wool 24/7.

 

[smudge]

Kids today, pampered. They'll never experience a Mitre Mouldmaster full in the grid on a cold wet day. Or heading the old leather ball full on the laces.
Made a man of you!

 

[Randsta]

I knew this, I'd never header the ball if I didn't have too didn't want to mess up my hair.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Im a sports coach (in a range of sports) and I box, so Im not discrediting any report and trying to sound 'old skool', I realise the seriousness of concussions and neck injuries, but like I said, kids rarely header the ball anyway, most of the time they duck!

Well maybe it is only the brave (or stupid) ones that need protecting from themselves. Relying on kids to duck when parents are shouting "put your head on it" does not really sound like it eliminates the problem.

IMO kids heading a ball every now and then is not gonna hurt them.

I too have lots of opinions not troubled by any scientific evidence.