Heading to be phased out in 10 years

[MC RISK77]

Saw John Coleman of Accrington suggest today that heading the ball could be outlawed in as few as ten years on a sky interview today. While it does seem the medical evidence supports that it increases the risk of the horrible illness that is dementia how do people feel about football as a spectacle if this were to be the case?

obviously health is the most important thing that we have so if it happens based on firm medical evidence then it will be a positive change but would it change your view of the game?

Apologies if their is a thread that has already been posted on this but I have not been on the forum for a while.

[James54De]

Heading is already naturally on its way out. Comparing the game of today to that of 20 years ago shows huge differences. To speed up that process for health reasons would be perfect. 

[Superjack]

I think that ball design technology will be more likely to provide the solution.

Of course, health of players is the paramount consideration, but it just wouldn't be the same game without heading. 

Footballs get lighter and safer with every passing decade. I personally hope that this will provide an answer.

[Eddie Notgetinya]

This isn’t the NFL, it will ruin the game if it’s outlawed. It’s banned at youth level which is sensible but they need to look at making it safer rather than getting rid of a fundamental part of the game. The answer lies in developing ball technology or headbands…I hope

[Major Isewater]

If Boxing is permitted then heading a football must be as well.

Either ban both or accept that in life there are risks attached to everything we do. 

[James54De]

4 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

If Boxing is permitted then heading a football must be as well.

Either ban both or accept that in life there are risks attached to everything we do. 

Professional boxers aren’t expect to have multiple (upwards of 10, I’d imagine) head impacts every single day of their working career. Centre half’s rail of dementia is 5 times the normal rate. 

[Edgy Red]

My Dad had dementia and never headed a ball in his life. For every 1 player who may develop dementia there will be 100 who don't.

I'm afraid it's the story of modern day life where we have to blame something for every single illness that occurs.

Heading is a massive part of football and has been for 150 years. Remove it and you're changing the game for the worse in my opinion, but it will probably happen in the next 20 years.

[Davefevs]

I’m really mixed on this.  Pretty sure the weight of a football is the same now as it was in the day (except for when it got wet), pretty sure the Shearer documentary confirmed this. And regs haven’t changed as far as I know.

It does appear to move faster though.

Wonder how many headers there are in a game now versus 60s/70s? And then measure again wet / heavy ball in 60s / 70s versus today?

I feel for the likes of Astle (RIP) and Chris Nicholl who featured in the Shearer documentary, and it really clouds my objective view.

[Rossi the Robin]

Cancel culture is never ending 

[Edgy Red]

3 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I’m really mixed on this.  Pretty sure the weight of a football is the same now as it was in the day (except for when it got wet), pretty sure the Shearer documentary confirmed this. And regs haven’t changed as far as I know.

It does appear to move faster though.

Wonder how many headers there are in a game now versus 60s/70s? And then measure again wet / heavy ball in 60s / 70s versus today?

I feel for the likes of Astle (RIP) and Chris Nicholl who featured in the Shearer documentary, and it really clouds my objective view.

I agree Dave, its difficult to weigh everything up and without wanting to bring the covid debate in to this topic as well, all aspects of life carry a risk and nobody is immortal.

Covid has affected a very small proportion of people and dementia is similar. I'm sure in years to come scientists will find solutions to most illnesses but everything we do carries a risk.

I just feel modern life is becoming a blame game when sometimes fate and luck is actually the main cause?

[TonyTonyTony]

This is so difficult to resolve. You think it’s hard in football - try Rugby. Anyone watching a international scrum will see the head forces in play on the front row players. Steve Thompson (hooker for the England 2003 RWC winners) can’t even remember playing the game.

If you play it out to its natural conclusion the games we love now will not exist in their current form.

[redsquirrel]

if they do this,they should ban overtaking  in f1 and limit the cars to 10mph

[grifty]

So a manager has SUGGESTED heading to be phased out but thread says heading TO BE phased out.

I didn't realise football rules were based on what the Accrington manager suggest.

[The Coach]

If this is to happen in football then it should happen in every single workplace where the body is at risk.

Those who sit down all down should be given standing desks. Sitting down all day can cause major back and hip issues…etc etc 

Where do you draw the line? 

[the1stknowle]

9 minutes ago, lukebcfc1989 said:

Ridiculous a few ex players making opportunist claims has brought this about, comes at a time in society where EVERYBODY seems to need a cause to fight or represent!

Looking like a pointless warning will have to be put on the game now but please do not take away an important aspect of the game we love !

People have the right to take part in a sport all risks considered it is there choice, we have to now protect the game from law suits! another trend from America frustratingly following over here, if you are not aware of what I am talking about please google “American Football concussion law suits”

Get players to sign a contract clearly laying out this “science “

You want to play sign … you don’t want to play pick another career

if you wish to counter my argument please list for me the list of players currently suffering from ball heading dementia. We can debate there motives for bringing this cause forward now after all the years Football has existed 

Rant over !

As an 18 year old, did you have perfect risk and consequence assessment as well as a strong sense of your own mortality/fragility as you regularly pondered what life would be like for you in your 50's and beyond? 

 

[the1stknowle]

What if heading was restrcited to the two boxes? That would reduce the number of headers in a game and might even improve it as a spectacle.

[Cowshed]

16 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I’m really mixed on this.  Pretty sure the weight of a football is the same now as it was in the day (except for when it got wet), pretty sure the Shearer documentary confirmed this. And regs haven’t changed as far as I know.

It does appear to move faster though.

Wonder how many headers there are in a game now versus 60s/70s? And then measure again wet / heavy ball in 60s / 70s versus today?

I feel for the likes of Astle (RIP) and Chris Nicholl who featured in the Shearer documentary, and it really clouds my objective view.

The modern football is marginally lighter. And it is a marginal. They do fly faster because the modern football isn't affected so much by former poor aerodynamics, the balls are rounder and retain that shape, don't retain moisture to add weight = They are faster. 

Arguably modern footballs are harder to head. Balls used to have 28-32 panels. They now can have 12. The less panels the more unstable the ball is in the air. Hence balls can be are frequebntly knuckled, its a relatively new skill due to the design of modern balls.

[the1stknowle]

3 minutes ago, lukebcfc1989 said:

Football has been around for 100s of years, would I trade all my years of playing and heading balls in my teens with a massive smile on my face based on supposed science relating to a "Handful" of players who were basically heading rocks back in 70s ...no and I wouldnt care for science based on players who we can not confirm ....What decade did they play in?? this matters

Trade it for what though? You never get round to saying. 

If you had dementia right now and that's what you could trade away, I suspect you might be interested in taking that deal. 

[handsofclay]

15 minutes ago, the1stknowle said:

What if heading was restrcited to the two boxes? That would reduce the number of headers in a game and might even improve it as a spectacle.

I have advocated this and introduced it into my hybrid walking football group (we don't play the full rules that include no overhead height). The vast majority of excitement in football involving heading occurs in the box both attacking and defensively so if that was still allowed but heading elsewhere on the pitch that is usually nowhere near as exciting is outlawed I don't think much will be missed in terms of entertainment value while cutting out possibly sixty percent plus of heading in the game.

[RedHienz]

47 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I’m really mixed on this.  Pretty sure the weight of a football is the same now as it was in the day (except for when it got wet), pretty sure the Shearer documentary confirmed this. And regs haven’t changed as far as I know.

It does appear to move faster though.

Wonder how many headers there are in a game now versus 60s/70s? And then measure again wet / heavy ball in 60s / 70s versus today?

I feel for the likes of Astle (RIP) and Chris Nicholl who featured in the Shearer documentary, and it really clouds my objective view.

Exactly my thoughts Dave, its a horrible illness and seeing the effects can really impact an objective view on the subject. 

Personally i would like to see more studies done replicating the environment as is now, 

[handsofclay]

3 minutes ago, lukebcfc1989 said:

Madness what sport do you watch 

Evidently not the same one you do. Maybe the many years you spent of heading a ball in your youth with a smile on your face has impacted upon your capacity to listen to views without making sarcastic comments.

[The Dolman Pragmatist]

25 minutes ago, lukebcfc1989 said:

No i would not regret having dementia spending my youth doing what i loved,

My point... who are the players over the 100s of years in professional footballs existence that are proving this link....

What era did they play in....?

What positions on the field did they play??

I need to know this to compute the "Science"

How do you know what it feels like to have dementia?  It’s a terrible illness, awful, something no one would want.  If I had to give some advice to my teenage son now, in the knowledge that heading might contribute to dementia, I would say “Try not to head the ball”.  No doubt about it.  They are too many people developing serious neurological conditions after playing contact sport.

[2015]

If this happens I do fear it will be the end of football as we know it.

Teams at the bottom just passing and passing without any real quality at all and games being boring. Playing long balls at times and being good from set pieces is a skill in itself, and gives the underdogs a chance. 

Not good.

[handsofclay]

1 minute ago, lukebcfc1989 said:

Target men strikers winning flick ons , ball winning centre halves mean nothing to you then

not every team is Barcelona my friend, you are essentially asking for one way of playing football and based on what please tell me the players affected…

I honestly don't think much would be missed by no longer seeing a target man striker flicking the ball on or a ball winning centre back clearing the ball aerially knocked down the channel. In fact, by cutting that out it could be argued that more balls would reach the penalty areas where heading would be allowed. 

Don't get me wrong, I would prefer football to remain as it is and as you have intimated this could well be an overreaction and balls are lighter than when these brain injuries that have been illustrated, occurred. I am just offering a compromise IF the occasion arises where football does have to address this.

[LondonBristolian]

46 minutes ago, Redpool said:

If this is to happen in football then it should happen in every single workplace where the body is at risk.

Those who sit down all down should be given standing desks. Sitting down all day can cause major back and hip issues…etc etc 

Where do you draw the line? 

Expense aside, why would what you suggest be a bad thing? I’d not want that forced on small businesses for obvious reasons but, for any company where the money is there, what would be the downside to offering an option of a standing desk? Difference is football has the money and, even better, a potential solution that will cost nothing at all.

50 minutes ago, redsquirrel said:

if they do this,they should ban overtaking  in f1 and limit the cars to 10mph

Difference is twofold:

1) Formula 1 Drivers know the risks and willingly sign up to them. With football and dementia, this is a new area where we don’t yet quite know the risks and getting the facts has to be the first step to ensuring footballers can make an informed decision about their health.

2) Formula 1 is incredibly impressive and a leader amongst sports in what it does to keep participants safe. They are not just sticking people in fast cars and taking their chances but spending millions increasing safety at every step. Hence why last year Grosjean walked away unscathed from a crash that would have likely been fatal twenty years ago and outside a formula 1 car. If you want to use Formula 1 as an example, it is not an example for how to let people carry on with unchecked risk but an example of how football might take every conceivable step to mitigating the risk from heading a football.

[2015]

1 minute ago, handsofclay said:

I honestly don't think much would be missed by no longer seeing a target man striker flicking the ball on or a ball winning centre back clearing the ball aerially knocked down the channel. In fact, by cutting that out it could be argued that more balls would reach the penalty areas where heading would be allowed. 

Don't get me wrong, I would prefer football to remain as it is and as you have intimated this could well be an overreaction and balls are lighter than when these brain injuries that have been illustrated, occurred. I am just offering a compromise IF the occasion arises where football does have to address this.

The issue I have is there will be multiple matches like Spain vs Sweden at the Euros where one team just has 80% possession and doesn't do much with it. Imagine watching a League 2 game with no heading, it would be a total bore imo

[2015]

1 minute ago, lukebcfc1989 said:

Exactly we are talking about asking teams with limited ability to replicate the style of play, match and out perform these top teams at there game ….
 

We may aswell have just gone ahead and created the European super league because you are eliminating competition but in a disguised sly way, using a horrible illness as the cover 

Pretty much. We don't use the balls of the 60s and 70s anymore and a few footballers getting dementia? Out of how many? 

[Tookster]

47 minutes ago, the1stknowle said:

What if heading was restrcited to the two boxes? That would reduce the number of headers in a game and might even improve it as a spectacle.

Agree on this - the midfield heading of goalkeeper kicks could be removed easily. They look to be the biggest knocks

[pongo88]

The game would definitely be different without heading but would it be less exciting? I’m not sure that it would. If there had been no heading 50 years ago, when pitches were mainly mud, then perhaps matches would have been dull. Nowadays, with excellent pitches all season, it’s much easier to play exciting football on the ground.  

[James54De]

1 hour ago, Edgy Red said:

My Dad had dementia and never headed a ball in his life. For every 1 player who may develop dementia there will be 100 who don't.

I'm afraid it's the story of modern day life where we have to blame something for every single illness that occurs.

Heading is a massive part of football and has been for 150 years. Remove it and you're changing the game for the worse in my opinion, but it will probably happen in the next 20 years.

No, No, No. In normal population 1 in 15 develop dementia. Studies suggest that football players are 3 times as likely to develop the disease. Thus, for ever 1 player who may develop dementia, there is 5 who don’t. 

58 minutes ago, lukebcfc1989 said:

Exactly Tediously fairy’s have infiltrated our game over the last 10 years and are having more and more influence,

We will have inter gender football leagues in the next 20 years mark my words If anybody finds that prospect remotely attractive you are not a football fan 

Presume you have never been personally affected by dementia. It’s a truly horrendous disease. Suffers end up living in a shell of a body, with no memory of family, friends or their past. Let’s get this ******* straight, no one is a fairy for attempting to reduce the risk of developing this cruel disease, that footballers face. You ignorant ****

49 minutes ago, lukebcfc1989 said:

The fact it is even being debated is insane to me, what is the originating source? who are the complaining players?

I would love to know if they were known for heading,

Can we ask; John Terry, Peter Crouch, Shaun Taylor for City? What are their opinions? 

Who is the complaining Player its not Mcindoe is it???

Wait 25/30 years, I’m sure they are worried about it in the future.