Heading Ban In Youth Games

I've found your posts on this very interesting. (When the heading ban was announced, I thought I was in a small minority in thinking that the ban would be good for the development of soccer skills in the US.)

 

Yes, it really is. If players were taught proper heading technique, there would be a lot less noise about it. I have been told that the training material includes teaching proper heading technique in the year or two before it is permitted so that when the time comes the players are prepared.

A further comment --

What Fields and her colleagues found in the current study suggests that the most effective way to reduce concussions could be to enforce rules against rough play. About 52% of concussions in girls and 69% in boys were because of physical contact between players -- in many cases, elbows and shoulders hitting the head, Fields said.
"If we can enforce the rules and minimize player-to-player contact, that could get rid of 60% of concussions, plus that would reduce other injuries," such as sprained ankles and wrists and torn ligaments, Fields said.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/14/health/youth-soccer-safety/​

 

Great read, thanks for sharing.

 

"If we can enforce the rules and minimize player-to-player contact..."

Two entirely different things.

 

In my limited experience so far with the build out line, I have found that the width of the field is a determining factor in the success of the line. I would be in favor of suspending the need for a goal kick to leave the area at this level. I have had more repeat goal kicks in my games because of short pass outs than build out line transgressions.

I would also make any free kick before the build out line subject to the build out line rules.

 

I may have made my point poorly. The core skills in soccer require you to use your feet. 90+% of the game is played this way. When your time is limited, you have to choose how you use time in a way that maximizes value. Yes, there are guidelines on how to teach heading. However, I still do not think that this is really a training problem. Technique and its application in a game situation are completely different. The ball is moving differently, you're being challenged by other players, you have coaches watching and possibly feeding information, parents cheering for you, a referee messing up the game, and a bunch of other things to process. It's not about the technique, the act of challenging for a header is fairly dangerous and one is more vulnerable and less protected. Even if I felt like it was worth spending effort on that skill as a coach, perfect technique will not address the elbow to the head, an awkward collision, a jarring fall, a miss hit or any thing else that can cause injury on that play. That means if you cannot head the ball at a particular level, you should also be taking those opportunities out of the game as well. We all know that referees do not and probably will not ever enforce the laws of the game in a way that takes those potential injuries out of the game. In all honestly, we probably couldn't do that because we can't see everything nor can be prevent many stupid, reckless or dangerous acts.

I'll end on this, I'm 43 years old. I still play and I know how to head a ball properly. I still hate doing it and will avoid it as much as I can. Even a perfect header bothers me. Those that miss just slightly or I mishit suck beyond belief and I write that having never had a concussion.

 

Fixed it for you . . . I think one of the concerns about concussions is those that were never diagnosed or treated. I think many of those of a certain age had concussions that were unrecognized and we kept playing or tried to keep playing. (For my one diagnosed concussion, the only reason I even went to the doctor is I almost fell down trying to running 5 minutes after the incident when I tried to go back into the game.) And really the issue with kids heading is not limited to concussions -- it is also the issue of repeated sub-concussive injuries.

 

Yes for sure, and I debated adding that qualifier too!

 

I know this is resurrecting an old thread...but the BBC recently had good documentary presented by Alan Shearer that mentions the US U11 heading ban a couple of times. As the gridiron game is apparently learning, the hundreds of small collisions are the thing the experts seem most concerned about.

It's sad to see these old guys in such bad shape. But as the FA person mentions, they really need to find out if old footballers have more dementia/brain issues than the general public. And interesting that even after learning that experts say young girls are more susceptible to concussion than boys John Terry will still encourage his young daughter to "attack" the ball with her head. In the end attitudes change slowly. But I also think it's good that they focus on the fact that people are starting to realize that more attractive football is played with the ball on the ground.