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Head Injuries in Soccer
Across the United States, from league meetings to scientific conferences, there is a continuing debate about whether young soccer players should head soccer balls. Head and neck injuries are the concern - balls can be as big as a child's head and almost as heavy in wet conditions.
America Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) represents almost 700,000 players on 50,000 teams in the U.S. AYSO members have proposed a rule that would ban heading in practices and games for all players under 10 years of age. That proposal was narrowly defeated in May 2001 by a vote of AYSO's Executive Committee. It received overwhelming support from subcommittees of coaches and referees, but was defeated by a mere 10 votes out of 500. Supporters of the proposal plan to push for it again. In some American cities where parks and recreation departments run soccer leagues, heading is banned in both games and practices.
In October 2001, the Institute of Medicine of the American National Academy of Sciences convened a conference where experts on head injuries discussed the potential risks of heading, but reached no firm conclusions. However, some studies reveal that a startling percentage of soccer players have neuropsychological deficiencies of attention, concentration, memory and judgement. These result not only from heading; player collisions and running into goal posts also lead to a significant number of concussions.
In 1999, the team physician for McGill's football and soccer teams realized he was seeing more head injuries in soccer players than in football players. Dr. Scott Delaney noticed that some soccer players were lost for the entire season. Many missed weeks of school, unable to keep up with their studies in more advanced fields.
Dr. Delaney identified three high risk groups: those who have previously suffered a concussion, goalkeepers and children. The youngest group, eager but largely unskilled, was of particular concern. Though heading the ball is intrinsic to the game, most young players don't know how to head the ball safely. They have thinner skulls to protect the brain than adults, and weaker necks that don't absorb or dissipate forces applied to the head. He recommended head protection for these players - not hard-shell protection like a bicycle helmet, but something modeled loosely on the old-style leather football helmet.
The American Society for Testing and Material currently has a committee whose objective is to set standards for soccer headgear. However, no such protection is currently sold in Canada.
Indoor soccer is a popular wintertime sport in some Canadian centers. The game is played in an area similar to a hockey rink. Children can be pushed into the boards or can trip on the carpeted cement floors. With smaller, heavier balls, heading is a concern. FIFA (Féderation Internationale de Football Association), soccer's world governing body, recognizes Futsal, a safer version of the game that does not have boards and has stricter rules. Most soccer associations in Canada do not offer Futsal.
Although some neurologists have expressed concerns, the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) does not accept the U.S. studies. CSA officials maintain that most soccer head injuries are from collisions, and are not considering a ban on heading for younger players. The association recommends not teaching the skill until a child is nine or 10. At that time, a ball that is smaller than the approved No. 5 FIFA ball should be used to teach proper technique. One official recommends something as light as a beach ball. CSA officials say children have to learn to keep their eyes on the ball and make contact with the top of the forehead, the hardest bone.
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Safety Canada
October 2002
Soccer Death due to Heading
Protective headgear gets kicked around by advocates and critics
www.soccerheadgear.com
Soccer Head Injuries
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