Should there be a ban on Children heading the ball?

[swede1973]

I am not a sport person at all but i remember once at school was about 12 or 13, i headed the ball and it sent me dizzy. Stomping headache for hours. So if kids are going to head a ball they should be taught the proper way. And not learn the hard and painfull way i did .

[Obelix]

i could be mistaken but i have the impression that a main concern is that an under 10's neck "muscles(?)" aren't sufficiently developed for heading the ball.

it really ought to be all about technical with ball at feet, coervers, change of direction, 1 v 1 's and some 3 v 3 to finish the session at that age.

if i see my kids u-10 coach working on heading exercises i'd be tempted to have a quiet word, find my kid another team, or suggest another coach for the team.

i've seen some kids who look quite like "natural" headers of the ball at that age ... but to make it in any way a focus of training ... nah. not for me.

 

When I was at school 30 odd years ago that was what we were told. Heading a football, especially a wet leather heavy ball was not for kids under the age of 11 and when we got to that age there was suggestions for the first eleven to improve neck strength as well.

 

---------- Post added 13-02-2017 at 16:39 ----------

 

Let the boys play at football or whatever game, and stop mollycoddling them.

 

Football was for the boys. Rugger was the "mans" sport at my school.

 

If you thought you were hard at rugger you got taught hockey though and sent up against the girls school to teach you your place. My was *that* an eye opener!

[Jerky]

Heading is a keypart of defending, also a striker. The balls nowadays are lighter. They should also be playing with a size 4 ball. Not a size 5. When coaching, special emphasis should be given to how to correctly head the ball. Eyes always open and use the forehead. If done correctly, it is absolutely fine. If not, keep practising. They wont hurt themselves if they do it wrong, but if they keep their eyes open all the way, most of the time they will head it correctly anyway.

[Agent Orange]

Heading is a keypart of defending, also a striker. The balls nowadays are lighter. They should also be playing with a size 4 ball. Not a size 5. When coaching, special emphasis should be given to how to correctly head the ball. Eyes always open and use the forehead. If done correctly, it is absolutely fine. If not, keep practising. They wont hurt themselves if they do it wrong, but if they keep their eyes open all the way, most of the time they will head it correctly anyway.

 

Eyes open or shut, forehead or not... the brain is still going to rattle around in the skull once the head hits the ball. No amount of practice is going to change that

[horribleblob]

When I was at school 30 odd years ago that was what we were told. Heading a football, especially a wet leather heavy ball was not for kids under the age of 11 and when we got to that age there was suggestions for the first eleven to improve neck strength as well.

Football was for the boys. Rugger was the "mans" sport at my school.

 

If you thought you were hard at rugger you got taught hockey though and sent up against the girls school to teach you your place. My was *that* an eye opener!

 

I went to an all-boys school and we had a choice: rugby or hockey. Being a delicate lad, I chose the latter and it was more a question of the ball heading you.

[gettingon]

When I was at school 30 odd years ago that was what we were told. Heading a football, especially a wet leather heavy ball was not for kids under the age of 11 and when we got to that age there was suggestions for the first eleven to improve neck strength as well.

 

exactly. i wouldn't think of introducing heading into my sessions until the u-12's. then just a couple of light exercises introducing the kids to the difference between defensive heading and heading for goal. you still have kids developing at different rates, so some are ready and some still aren't.

my teams always keep the ball on the ground anyway.

[Penistone999]

Read the headline on the BBC, asking should there be a ban on under 10's heading the ball?

 

I've not really looked into the evidence of what it does to people, but if there's a link between any conditions such as brain damage or memory problems, then there's got to be a case.

 

What's others opinions?

 

Sounds to me like the Nanny state rearing its ugly head again.

[LeMaquis]

Sounds to me like the Nanny state rearing its ugly head again.

 

If you're so opposed to ugly heads being reared why that avatar?

[melthebell]

did we all die in the 50s, 60s, 70s? from all the footy heading, conkers, climbing trees, fighting, etc etc

 

nowt wrong wi me

*no sniggering at the back*

[area 51]

This must be a joke surely,are they going to have them playing football in crash helmets.I was heading a football at that age and it never did me any harm(family and friends may disagree(.A lot of the long term injuries were caused to a lot of the older footballers during the fifties,sixties and seventies when heavy footballs were used and they used to get really heavy when wet.My father was a non league footballer and told me that he was knocked out several times and suffered concussion.Modern footballs are so light that being knocked out and getting concussion when heading the ball just does not happen anymore.Head injuries happen in football today mainly from a clash of heads.