Heading the ball

I see the FA are trailing banning heading for U12 . About time , I can't believe it's taken this long . I would hazard a guess that a total ban on heading in all football will happen in the next 10 years

You have to factor in the medicine type balls professionals were heading back in the 60's and 70's compared to the balls professionals use today.

I do not see a total ban in the professional game ever happening.

Remove heading from the game and the game you have left no longer resembles football as we know it. How would corners work? Can you still kick the ball high and long?

I’m not suggesting that doing nothing is the only alternative, but there are inherent dangers to many sports that would detract from the spectacle of entertainment were you to mitigate them completely.

If you're going to do something to do with heading then run it alongside the FAs attempt at getting children from a young age to pass the ball.
I can't remember at what age the 'retreat line' becomes void but maybe incorporate that into heading. No heading up until the same age as the retreat line. Kids are even more likely to try keep the ball on the deck and pass it to feet etc and work their way into the opponent's box.

Quoted from Poojah

Remove heading from the game and the game you have left no longer resembles football as we know it. How would corners work? Can you still kick the ball high and long?

I’m not suggesting that doing nothing is the only alternative, but there are inherent dangers to many sports that would detract from the spectacle of entertainment were you to mitigate them completely.

May as well scrap Boxing then  

I’ve coached a large number of U12 kids over the years and the vast majority are terrified of heading a football until they get to about 13-14

Quoted from Poojah

Remove heading from the game and the game you have left no longer resembles football as we know it. How would corners work? Can you still kick the ball high and long?

I’m not suggesting that doing nothing is the only alternative, but there are inherent dangers to many sports that would detract from the spectacle of entertainment were you to mitigate them completely.

Once you take away the basic fundamentals of the game you change it. Today's footballs are different in size and materials compared to the old leather ones.

I'm not in favour of helping people get dementia and there are dangers in all sports of people getting dementia. Today people know the dangers before they take up a sport, whereas in the past dementia was an unheard of word.

Quoted from DB

Once you take away the basic fundamentals of the game you change it. Today's footballs are different in size and materials compared to the old leather ones.

I'm not in favour of helping people get dementia and there are dangers in all sports of people getting dementia. Today people know the dangers before they take up a sport, whereas in the past dementia was an unheard of word.

That's a great point but what about children heading balls ?

Apparently, the modern balls don't make much of a difference to the brain damage caused. Also clashes of heads and so forth. I remember mocking the Yank who invented a helmet for kids to wear when heading the ball. Turns out that wouldn't have helped much either - it's the impact which moves the brain around in the skull which wouldn't be any different with or without a helmet.

Quoted from It Bites

That's a great point but what about children heading balls ?

I don't how a child's skull develops to maturity so it's hard to answer. One way around it would be to use an inflatable type beach ball the size of a football. Heading skills could be taught but not at the expense of damage to the skull.