The US Soccer Federation announced just this week that new guidelines will be issued regarding the limit of headers among 11 to 13 years olds can execute during training and prohibiting much younger kids from doing so. Concerns about head traumas in football are alarming as to become "a tidal wave that will engulf" the sport, as predicted by the world players' union Fifpro due to numerous injuries players suffered throughout last year's World Cup event. Researchers found that in women's game the force of heading back goal kicks is similar to boxing punches and footballers colliding as reported in the Guardian last week.
Dr Michael Grey, a motor neuroscienctist at the University of Birmingham's School of sport says that "increasing evidence to suggest there may be a problem" with head traumas in football and mainly with younger players.
Players may not suffer from traumas immediately, but repeated impact during the game could be damaging. "We call these subconcussive events that might not lead to [an obvious] brain injury each time but a little bit of damage builds up over time. There is some belief that these subconcussive blows may lead to neuro-degeneration."
It's different with children for they are more vulnerable than adults. A child's neck does isn't strong enough to support their overly large head and even so against the ball's impact. "Therefore the brain is shaking around in the cranium more. Maybe we need to be looking at things like training for neck strength, and not allowing heading practice for children with particularly weak neck muscles." Children develop at different rates, so it's not enough to limit headers simply by age, he says. Brain maturity or under developed myelin that covers the nerve cells among adults and children could also be susceptible to brain traumas.
"The FA is committed to making the game as safe as possible and has noted today's new rule changes outlined by US Soccer and will closely monitor any available new research in this area." It also added that it was soon to announce "new guidelines - formed by an independent expert panel - which look at how to identify, manage and treat suspected head injuries and to manage a player's safe return to play at all levels of football." As told by a Spokesperson to the Guardian.
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