Ban Heading (here we go again)

[Unregistered]

I don't have exact numbers but many concussions come from head-head contact when two players are both fighting for the ball. That has nothing to do with proper technique. Usually the smaller player is the one or the one with less momentum bears the brunt of it. Basic physics.

My opinion based on experience...

BU10-GU11 = very few/essentially no children attempt to head the ball, open or contested. No decision to head is made.
BU12-GU13 = players transition from not heading, into attempting to head the ball in space more often, attempts to head the ball under pressure are still rare. Better decision are made, but not often.
BU14-GU15 = most players have confidence to head the ball, more players begin to head the ball under pressure. Decisions to head the ball are more frequent, not necessarily better (as many poor as sound tactical choices).

Many have noted that concussions occur when there are decisions to head the ball gone wrong. I'd say while true, that's really an incomplete picture. I tend to agree with those who suggest there just a broad physical nature to play that contributes to the problem of injuries.

Along those lines, what some have highlighted, but not nearly enough, is that in the older age groups (think of the last high school age match you watched) opt to head the ball, even when uncontested and in space, rather than trapping and possessing. For all the talk about "kickball" which I think is probably overstated, the unnecessary heading by comparison is vastly understated.

And to be clear, I don't think heading a soccer ball directly contributes to occurrences of concussions, whether it is problematic over time with CTE is debatable (think linemen like Mike Webster in football bashing helmets repeatedly for years on end).

Absolutely against banning heading at the younger ages, mostly because it's not a problem. It just isn't happening in number or causing injuries, so banning it before high school wouldn't provide any beneficial result. I do think the style of play and training is a problem and that's where changes, following all the awareness that has been a point of focus in recent years, will have a beneficial result.

[Unregistered]

My opinion based on experience...

BU10-GU11 = very few/essentially no children attempt to head the ball, open or contested. No decision to head is made.
BU12-GU13 = players transition from not heading, into attempting to head the ball in space more often, attempts to head the ball under pressure are still rare. Better decision are made, but not often.
BU14-GU15 = most players have confidence to head the ball, more players begin to head the ball under pressure. Decisions to head the ball are more frequent, not necessarily better (as many poor as sound tactical choices).

Many have noted that concussions occur when there are decisions to head the ball gone wrong. I'd say while true, that's really an incomplete picture. I tend to agree with those who suggest there just a broad physical nature to play that contributes to the problem of injuries.

Along those lines, what some have highlighted, but not nearly enough, is that in the older age groups (think of the last high school age match you watched) opt to head the ball, even when uncontested and in space, rather than trapping and possessing. For all the talk about "kickball" which I think is probably overstated, the unnecessary heading by comparison is vastly understated.

And to be clear, I don't think heading a soccer ball directly contributes to occurrences of concussions, whether it is problematic over time with CTE is debatable (think linemen like Mike Webster in football bashing helmets repeatedly for years on end).

Absolutely against banning heading at the younger ages, mostly because it's not a problem. It just isn't happening in number or causing injuries, so banning it before high school wouldn't provide any beneficial result. I do think the style of play and training is a problem and that's where changes, following all the awareness that has been a point of focus in recent years, will have a beneficial result.

You have your head in the sand. Girls are frequently getting concussion directly as a result of heading soccer balls. That's not up for debate.

What’s your advice for soccer parents? Do you recommend an age cutoff for heading a soccer ball?

We recommend that youngsters under the age of 14 not head the ball in soccer, not play tackle football and not full-body check in ice hockey. Impacts to the head are more damaging under that age, due to a number of structural and metabolic reasons. The brains of youngsters are not as myelinated as adult brains. Myelin is the coating of the neuron fibers—kind of like coating on a telephone wire. It helps transmission of signals and it also gives neurons much greater strength, so young brains are more vulnerable.

Youngsters also have disproportionately big heads. By the age of five, their heads are about 90 percent of their adult circumference, but the neck has not nearly developed to that point. They have big heads on very weak necks and that bobblehead-doll effect means you don’t have to impact the head as hard to cause damage.

[Unregistered]

I don't have exact numbers but many concussions come from head-head contact when two players are both fighting for the ball. That has nothing to do with proper technique. Usually the smaller player is the one or the one with less momentum bears the brunt of it. Basic physics.

My daughter got concussed this season on a contested header. Big kid out jumped smaller kid, so smaller kid undercut her and she landed on her head. If headers were not allowed, it would have been a shoulder to shoulder contest to chest the ball; much safer.

[Unregistered]

After watching my daughter's coach trying to teach the girls to head the ball one day in practice I told my daughter to never head the ball until she's older. Not only was his technique awful (although in general he's a decent coach) but she's still young (11) and I've read the stats on muscle development, especially for girls. Her older HS brother is working with her in the yard on using her body to trap and drop the ball to her feet. Not a perfect solution but that same brother had a nasty concussion when he was U12 (head-to-head contact) and I'd rather not repeat that experience

[Unregistered]

You have your head in the sand. Girls are frequently getting concussion directly as a result of heading soccer balls. That's not up for debate.

Then you'll be happy and able to provide a link to the data supporting "girls frequently getting concussion [sic] directly as a result of heading soccer balls."

Looking forward to it.

[Unregistered]

What’s your advice for soccer parents? Do you recommend an age cutoff for heading a soccer ball?

I've commented earlier in the thread, as in the last post, that age, between emotions and physical maturity, has a largely self-regulating effect. More simply stated, kids being afraid (of the ball, other players, etc.) does an amazing job, better than anything else, literally, protecting from injury.

As a practical matter, proper training is critically important, but I've never come across even a fraction parents who sufficiently deep thinkers, caring about soccer training curriculum more than say winning.

Before U10, no heading. After that, common sense hours a long way in terms of reading kids into gaining comfort with the ball, the idea, technique. Learn first, limit in practice, but not necessarily encourage in competition.

Lastly, as part of their game intelligence, as previously stated, develop for trapping and possession rather than heading, heading with purpose (to pass and score), and you see choices that don't expose players as much habits(while there's simply no eliminating risk).

That's a concern of mine by the way, policy on heading that is reactionary, driven by intent rather than results, counter productive from a soccer and safety perspective.

[Unregistered]

You can still get a concussion if a kid intends to hit the ball properly and some other kid pushes or something that allows the ball to connect incorrectly. This is even worse in cold weather when the ball is too hard. The air expands in the ball.

For you kids out there, some times Dad is not quite up to speed with the physics thing. In coldness things contract and in heat they expand. Think shrinkage. There is only one liquid that expands on freezing and that is water.

[Unregistered]

Then you'll be happy and able to provide a link to the data supporting "girls frequently getting concussion [sic] directly as a result of heading soccer balls."

Looking forward to it.

http://www.webmd.com/brain/news/2014...g-soccer-study

One of many articles. We can't eliminate head traumas in youth sports but finding ways to reduce the number of them that occur makes sense. They are doing a great job of this in other sports. Soccer is better about recognizing the concussions after they occur but not seeing a lot of steps at prevention around here. Lot of information out there you can search for on your own.

[Unregistered]

http://www.webmd.com/brain/news/2014...g-soccer-study

One of many articles. We can't eliminate head traumas in youth sports but finding ways to reduce the number of them that occur makes sense. They are doing a great job of this in other sports. Soccer is better about recognizing the concussions after they occur but not seeing a lot of steps at prevention around here. Lot of information out there you can search for on your own.

Not to be dismissive, but I was looking for a study on a level above anecdotes, as in a pool players larger than I've personally coached. For example, their conclusion is that rate of concussion is greater in younger players, rather than older, because of their sampling of 59 out of 351? That conclusion is in dispute.

I've read plenty of research, with significantly more depth in its data and analysis, struggling to show corollary, much less failing to show causation, using this study's passing reference and definition of "heading the ball" as cause of 19 concussions.

Again, I look forward to any information you provide, but I'm interested the study, not a pseudo-news website's commentary on the study, if that makes sense.

[Unregistered]

This is the risk that should be driving the conversation in my opinion.

http://www.einstein.yu.edu/news/rele...-brain-injury/

[Unregistered]

This is interesting. The Sports Legacy Institute research cited as the basis for this decision to ban heading in middle school concluded that 30% of concussions are caused by attempting to head the ball, which includes player collisions (there's plenty of research that suggests that is low using a standard not including ball well). The reason I'm posting this, they banned heading in practice, but not in games. Seems one could reasonably argue based on other studies noting the game environment risk of ball speed, lack of readiness, etc., in addition to neck strength, etc., that this decision is backwards, where any heading at that age should be limited, in a controlled, training environment, rather than games.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/prep-r...192911672.html

[Unregistered]

Not to be dismissive, but I was looking for a study on a level above anecdotes, as in a pool players larger than I've personally coached. For example, their conclusion is that rate of concussion is greater in younger players, rather than older, because of their sampling of 59 out of 351? That conclusion is in dispute.

I've read plenty of research, with significantly more depth in its data and analysis, struggling to show corollary, much less failing to show causation, using this study's passing reference and definition of "heading the ball" as cause of 19 concussions.

Again, I look forward to any information you provide, but I'm interested the study, not a pseudo-news website's commentary on the study, if that makes sense.

You seem to be digging in your heels so I am not going to point all the links that have been posted or take time to give you others and try to convince you. Many people feel that heading and the collisions associated with it could be minimized at younger ages and not hinder player development at all. I am in favor of eliminating under U12 and under U14 for girls based solely on upper body development. I am also in favor of reducing the amount of potential injuries by altering practices out of game situations to avoid it. I am not in favor of eliminating it. I'll leave it at that.

[Unregistered]

You seem to be digging in your heels so I am not going to point all the links that have been posted or take time to give you others and try to convince you. Many people feel that heading and the collisions associated with it could be minimized at younger ages and not hinder player development at all. I am in favor of eliminating under U12 and under U14 for girls based solely on upper body development. I am also in favor of reducing the amount of potential injuries by altering practices out of game situations to avoid it. I am not in favor of eliminating it. I'll leave it at that.

Not the OP but I agree. A sensible solution.

[Unregistered]

You seem to be digging in your heels so I am not going to point all the links that have been posted or take time to give you others and try to convince you. Many people feel that heading and the collisions associated with it could be minimized at younger ages and not hinder player development at all. I am in favor of eliminating under U12 and under U14 for girls based solely on upper body development. I am also in favor of reducing the amount of potential injuries by altering practices out of game situations to avoid it. I am not in favor of eliminating it. I'll leave it at that.

Not digging in at all. I began this by quoting you for a reason, noting your use of "directly" and "frequently" with respect to heading the ball and the instance of concussion. I took that to mean what it says - contact with the ball often causes concussions, not something else - trying to make contact with the ball might cause you to hit your head on the ground or a post or another person and then become injured. If you meant what you said, the former, heading a ball itself is the "direct" and "frequent" cause of concussions, that's in dispute even in studies (cited and plenty more) that are concerned with concussions by any cause in the short term (indirectly from heading or not) and long term (CTE brain injury from repeated heading over years and years).

My very point is best explained by having a dialogue about policy ideas and efficacy, distinguishing between intent, results and unintended consequences. As noted above, we've seen one middle school where heading in games is merely discouraged, but in practice is banned. That's well-intended, but i think terribly misguided. Exactly what should be debated.

But sure, exit the debate, that's your prerogative.

[Unregistered]

Do you believe the changes they have made in the NFL and in youth football programs is "terribly misguided" to attempt to reduce the number of exposures to these same types of risks?