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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-51129653
This has already been implemented in the USA since 2015 and presumably has very significant implications for the future of the game if it ultimately gets adopted worldwide. Remove heading from the game and there's a massive change in the way football is played. What happens at corners and set pieces? Not to mention the way defenders and strikers are coached.
If long-term health issues are the key factor here, why limit the move only to under-12s?
Unless all other countries adopt the same policy then we'll fall even further behind in term in terms of technique and skill.
And what about other sports like boxing and Rugby.?
Personally I think the suggestion is overkill and yet another example of nannyism.
Significant changes in the pipeline to improve rugby safety:Quote:
Originally Posted by Golden Bear
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...-a8832031.html
The big old heavy leather balls must have damaged lots of guys right enough.
It was always raining in those days too so the ball was even heavier.
Only goalies were safe.
I don't see the issue. Kids skulls/brains are developing and repeatedly getting objects to bounce off them during that time seems a bit daft. If they're older and want to participate in the sport and understand the risks associated with heading then that's fine. But someone under 12 doesn't really know what risks there are.
I’ve no problem with this. I coach kids football and there is very little heading of the ball anyway until they get to u14’s and I know for a fact that our club do zero practising of heading so it won’t make much difference to us.
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If this is the direction of travel, maybe we’ll steal a march on the competition by being earlier than everyone else to adapt to the change?Quote:
Originally Posted by Golden Bear
The ball shouldn't be in the air at training at that age anyway, all the focus should be on developing their skills with the ball at their feet.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Golden Bear
It’s not ‘nannyism’. It’s science.
You are hardly the first person in the world to ignore the emerging science because you don’t like what it says, but it never does humanity any good.
Personally I think it'll go the opposite way. Kids learning how to play the game with the ball at their feet rather than "Hoof it" at the first sign of pressing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Golden Bear
I agree, but I very much doubt if any official policy will stop kids from trying to emulate what they see their heroes doing on TV.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sergio sledge
Thats not entirely correct is it ?Quote:
Originally Posted by Sergio sledge
On that theory you are potentially ignoring a huge part of the game.Do corner kicks & possibly free kicks become irrelevant.
Is there really a link between heading a football and dementia?
I thought dementia was largely a “western” disease. Most probably therefore linked to diet or similar?
I think that the countries with the highest incidence of dementia are Scandinavia, Iceland, Canada and into Holland, Belgium, UK. Do these countries head a lot of footballs?
I read somewhere that one theory was around raw sewage in some of these countries into the North Sea/North Atlantic and subsequently affecting fish and rainfall into crops. No idea of the science behind this but the facts are that the Scandinavian countries are all in the top 10. I think Finland is highest.
Anything that may help should be considered seriously. Horrific illness for everyone involved.
At that age no-one should be wasting time at training on corner and free kick routines anyway, whether this ban is in place or not.Quote:
Originally Posted by JimboHibs
Why would they become irrelevant if you aren't heading the ball in training at under 12 level?
I use foam balls to practice heading (U12 and up) with my teams, get the technique right well before they actually come in contact with a real ball to the head. Works wonders.
As for corners and throw ins, we concentrated on playing short or receiving on the chest\thigh than just banging it high into the area.
The issue I have with banning it though is simple: 99% of coaches spend their first session after the ban ends getting their teams to head a real ball. A kid I know told me she came away from her first two sessions with a headache. Probably did more damage there than had she been able to head since the beginning.
Most kids already struggle to head a ball once they move up to 11s as very few coaches teach them how to do it properly. It’s a great skill and a huge part of the game.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sergio sledge
Isn't that what they do in Brazil? Futsal, I think it's called.
:dunno:
If it stops the Alex Ferguson in their own head types berating bairns for not 'getting it forward to the big laddie' then it's probably a good thing.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/oct/21/landmark-study-reveals-link-between-football-dementiaQuote:
Originally Posted by Hibby Bairn
No it's not just a Western disease, it is a group of degenerative diseases of the brain, which could best be described as wear and tear. The longer you live increases the chances of the brain wearing out.
As you can see from this chart: https://www.dementiastatistics.org/statistics/incidence-in-the-uk-and-globally/
As people in the West tend to live longer as a result of better nutrition and healthcare, there are more cases reported in Western Countries.
I think you should find out a bit more about it, Google is your friend.
These guys are a good place to start though: https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/
Out of interest what's the strategy with corners and free kicks at that age if heading doesn't really feature? Are they just played short? One of my kids was keen up until the age of about nine then lost interest in football, but at that age most of the coaching focus seemed to be on teaching the kids to pass the ball and play as a team. Corners, free kicks and heading the ball were never really on the agenda.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ozyhibby
I guess if heading was eliminated from the game, the keeper's role would change significantly too with next to no high balls to gather.
I get mine to play short.Quote:
Originally Posted by G B Young
I still see loads of big punts into the box by other teams.
All these games of headers in the sheds at Leithie done for me. Back in the day I was.....I was ....erm.....a half pint of milk and an Aztec bar please.
Quarter to six I thinkQuote:
Originally Posted by Greenbeard
Thanks for that. I have googled a bit but can’t see any explanation for the cluster around Scandinavia and Benelux countries (and also Iceland, Canada and USA). These are all in the top 10. Do you know if there is an explanation for this?Quote:
Originally Posted by Cataplana
That's an interesting one, and to be honest, i have no idea. My first thought would be to look at life expectancies in those countries. Other factors may relate to how they are recorded and reported.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hibby Bairn
You would think that the scientists and charities would be all over this. Much more of a link than heading a football I would suggest. I’ve had another look and the top 10 per head of population is:Quote:
Originally Posted by Cataplana
Finland
USA
Canada
Iceland
Sweden
Switzerland
Norway
Denmark
Netherlands
Belgium
Apart from Switzerland as an outlier the rest are all geographically clustered and have large coastal boundaries.
Wrong. It is two shillings and thruppence Jean.Quote:
Originally Posted by Since452
This is great news. I wonder how much heading Barcelona under 12s do?
Lets get kids passing the ball and enjoying themselves.
Good stuff. There are workable alternatives to supplement the learning of aerial technique at that age, absolutely no need to jeopardise the long term wellbeing of children.
Vast majority of them won't be playing any professional football anyway.