What is it about?
There is an ongoing controversy on whether purposeful heading in football (soccer) has long-term effects on the brain or not. In the USA heading has been forbidden for children aged 10 years or younger. However, what is the scientific evidence for such a decision? This viewpoint critically reviews the published literature on long-term effects of heading.
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Why is it important?
After heading in children has been forbidden in the USA end of 2015, national soccer federations have been confronted with the same question. Delaying heading may have benefits, but on the other side will delay also training in appropriately heading the ball and will significantly modify the game. At the same time, other means may be more effective in reducing head injuries in soccer.
Perspectives
Writing this article once again opened my eyes how little we know about long-term effects of head injuries and heading in football and how many limitations current studies have. I hope that this article will motivate colleagues to design and initiate high-quality prospective, longitudinal studies on long-term effects of heading and head injuries in soccer.
Alexander Tarnutzer
University Hospital Zurich
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Should heading be forbidden in children’s football?, Science and Medicine in Football, October 2017, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/24733938.2017.1386793.
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