mawspurs
Staff
- Jun 29, 2003
- 35,111
- 17,813
Heading: Professional players in England limited to 10 'higher force headers' a week in training
- Thread starter mawspurs
- Start date
wakefieldyid
SC Supporter
- Jun 13, 2006
- 1,560
- 1,591
It shouldn't really affect Spurs. We never seemed to practice set pieces in the past! 
chrissivad
Staff
- May 20, 2005
- 51,646
- 58,072
- Staff
- #3
Will Rodon need to be subbed off after 20mins once he has reached 10?
Shadydan
Well-Known Member
- Jul 7, 2012
- 38,247
- 104,143
- Feb 1, 2005
- 55,626
- 205,422
- Admin
- #11
Jesus, the number of people who obviously haven't read the article is embarrassing.
This isn't for games at all, its for training. What a "higher force" header is, is explained.
Here's just a section
Professional footballers in England are to be limited to 10 "higher force headers" a week in training under new guidelines for the upcoming season.
It comes after recent "multiple studies" were conducted into concerns about the long-term dangers of heading.
In 2019, a study found professional footballers were more likely to suffer from neurodegenerative brain disease.
Guidance for amateurs is "10 headers per session and only one session a week where heading practice is included".
It comes after an MPs' inquiry earlier in July said that sport has been allowed to "mark its own homework" on reducing the risks of brain injury.
"The preliminary studies identified the varying forces involved in heading a football, which were provided to a cross-football working group to help shape the guidance," said a joint statement on behalf of the Football Association, Premier League, English Football League, Professional Footballers' Association and League Managers Association.
"Based on those early findings, which showed the majority of headers involve low forces, the initial focus of the guidance [for professional football] will be on headers that involve higher forces.
"These are typically headers following a long pass (more than 35m) or from crosses, corners and free-kicks.
"It will be recommended that a maximum of 10 higher force headers are carried out in any training week.
"This recommendation is provided to protect player welfare and will be reviewed regularly as further research is undertaken to understand more regarding the impact of heading in football."
Research into football and head trauma has shown professional footballers are three and a half times more likely to die from dementia than people of the same age range in the general population.
No doubt the guidance will evolve as research continues and the results of this new stance becomes clearer but for now, at least they are doing something.
At least read the article before treating us to your scorn
This isn't for games at all, its for training. What a "higher force" header is, is explained.
Here's just a section
Professional footballers in England are to be limited to 10 "higher force headers" a week in training under new guidelines for the upcoming season.
It comes after recent "multiple studies" were conducted into concerns about the long-term dangers of heading.
In 2019, a study found professional footballers were more likely to suffer from neurodegenerative brain disease.
Guidance for amateurs is "10 headers per session and only one session a week where heading practice is included".
It comes after an MPs' inquiry earlier in July said that sport has been allowed to "mark its own homework" on reducing the risks of brain injury.
"The preliminary studies identified the varying forces involved in heading a football, which were provided to a cross-football working group to help shape the guidance," said a joint statement on behalf of the Football Association, Premier League, English Football League, Professional Footballers' Association and League Managers Association.
"Based on those early findings, which showed the majority of headers involve low forces, the initial focus of the guidance [for professional football] will be on headers that involve higher forces.
"These are typically headers following a long pass (more than 35m) or from crosses, corners and free-kicks.
"It will be recommended that a maximum of 10 higher force headers are carried out in any training week.
"This recommendation is provided to protect player welfare and will be reviewed regularly as further research is undertaken to understand more regarding the impact of heading in football."
Research into football and head trauma has shown professional footballers are three and a half times more likely to die from dementia than people of the same age range in the general population.
No doubt the guidance will evolve as research continues and the results of this new stance becomes clearer but for now, at least they are doing something.
At least read the article before treating us to your scorn
Last edited:
EQP
EQP
- Sep 1, 2013
- 8,018
- 29,843
So they propose to limit headers, but boxing/MMA remains untouched. Makes sense.
- Feb 1, 2005
- 55,626
- 205,422
- Admin
- #14
Again, from the article
"The preliminary studies identified the varying forces involved in heading a football, which were provided to a cross-football working group to help shape the guidance," said a joint statement on behalf of the Football Association, Premier League, English Football League, Professional Footballers' Association and League Managers Association
So in this instance it’s got nothing to do with boxing or anything else. This is being done by the football authorities. Boxing should keep its own house In order. Again…….Read the article. It might be helpful.
lighter balls are hit harder and faster and this is potentially more damaging than the heavier balls. Research is showing some evidence of this but with an ever changing baseline it is difficult to know for sure.
There is a weird response to this on here. Surely managing the health of players beyond their careers is important and if that means less heading in training then that surely is fine isnt it. Its no different to no heading in youth levels and no scrummaging in youth rugby etc. Is there a risk that the skill of heading is diminished - maybe. But that would be on all counts and maybe coaches just need to be more inventive with technique training than smashing umpteen balls into the box in training.
Jules77
Well-Known Member
- Aug 13, 2008
- 1,227
- 1,284
Rule applies to training.
Any of us old farts who headed the heavy balls that were wet and spinning will tell you that the modern balls can't possibly cause the damage that , well, ummmm , anyway, pasta or curry would be nice for dinner.
fridgemagnet
Well-Known Member
- Jan 18, 2009
- 2,421
- 2,869
I don't think there's anything "snowflake" about it; IIRC one of the players who spoke about it was Shearer, I think he did a programme about it.
In MMA/Boxing most CTE or associated injuries come not necessarily from the bout itself (albeit that changed in boxing*) but from the hours spent sparring in training; even with headgear and pillows for gloves you still get an accumulative amount of damage; yes the chances of you getting knocked spark out are reduced (although it can still happen) but you still get flash KO's or repeated brain movement against the skull that's like repeatedly driving your car into something hard enough where you're essentially giving your brain mini whiplash over and over. You can get whiplash at a little more than walking pace so I'm not even saying drive your car into a wall at 30 mph.
Sports science has improved areas, I think even making sure players are properly hydrated for the entire match as simple as it sounds these days has potentially reduced the potential for serious damage.
There's certain things I agree football has gotten soft over (distinguishing a tough/hard tackle from a dangerous one or almost not being able to use your arms to jump for example) but one thing it's definitely behind on is concussions and concussion procedures.
Imagine in an average 90 minute match or a training session how many times a players head is defending/making contact with a ball travelling even half these speeds.
* https://www.casino.org/blog/why-there-are-12-rounds-in-boxing/
Sorry I digressed.
In MMA/Boxing most CTE or associated injuries come not necessarily from the bout itself (albeit that changed in boxing*) but from the hours spent sparring in training; even with headgear and pillows for gloves you still get an accumulative amount of damage; yes the chances of you getting knocked spark out are reduced (although it can still happen) but you still get flash KO's or repeated brain movement against the skull that's like repeatedly driving your car into something hard enough where you're essentially giving your brain mini whiplash over and over. You can get whiplash at a little more than walking pace so I'm not even saying drive your car into a wall at 30 mph.
Sports science has improved areas, I think even making sure players are properly hydrated for the entire match as simple as it sounds these days has potentially reduced the potential for serious damage.
There's certain things I agree football has gotten soft over (distinguishing a tough/hard tackle from a dangerous one or almost not being able to use your arms to jump for example) but one thing it's definitely behind on is concussions and concussion procedures.
Imagine in an average 90 minute match or a training session how many times a players head is defending/making contact with a ball travelling even half these speeds.
* https://www.casino.org/blog/why-there-are-12-rounds-in-boxing/
Bareknuckle fights used to last longer because boxing gloves hadn't been invented; so thumping someone in the head would usual mean a broken hand and a very short fight, so the punches were usually aimed to the body and arms of the opponent.
Along comes the boxing glove and people start targeting the head more (also people with poor technique could suddenly get away with not learning how to punch correctly but they could hit hard)
Boxing gloves used to be big heavy things too, so you could slow down a fighters natural punching power because now the accelerating behind the punch is reduced, as materials improved you can end up with some really light gloves on someone who hits like a turbocharged Mack truck!
Along comes the boxing glove and people start targeting the head more (also people with poor technique could suddenly get away with not learning how to punch correctly but they could hit hard)
Boxing gloves used to be big heavy things too, so you could slow down a fighters natural punching power because now the accelerating behind the punch is reduced, as materials improved you can end up with some really light gloves on someone who hits like a turbocharged Mack truck!
Sorry I digressed.
Neon_Knight_
Well-Known Member
- Jul 20, 2011
- 4,022
- 6,737
I assume you were thinking about Wilder as you typed that. ?
whitesocks
The past means nothing. This is a message for life
- Jan 16, 2014
- 4,652
- 5,738
The balls certainly look lighter but they have been the same weight in the professional game since the 30s.
Boots have got lighter though so potentially there is more energy in them as the ball is struck, but how much gets transferred to the ball will depend on many factors like contact time and perhaps the relative weights of the boot and ball. Dunno.
Plus players are selected for their athleticism and work rate. How many of our players can or are prepared to put their laces through the ball? A few years ago lumping the ball would have been a key requirement.
What the FA are not addressing is recent research showing these low impacts are actually the long term problem, as they accumulate
The bigger political question is does a player have the right to wave all these health concerns in the pursuit of fame money and glory? Should all heath and safety issues just be down to personal responsibility as Boris is currently pushing?
Similar threads
