Head to head: Aberdeen’s Jaden Richardson and Hibernian’s Marian Kabracha.
Professional soccer players in Scotland will be banned from heading the ball in training the day before and the day after a game. This follows a study by the University of Glasgow, which found that former footballers are three and a half times more likely to die from brain diseases.
According to neurologist Willi Stuart, who led the study, the risk for professional football players ranges from a fivefold increase in the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease to about a fourfold increase in motor neuron disease and a twofold increase in Parkinson’s disease. Scientists believe this may be related to regular head impacts from the ball. “After a series of blows to the head, there is a measurable decline in memory that lasts for 24-48 hours. Changes in brain scans have also been observed in football players that may be related to such impacts,” said Dr. John Maclean, a Scottish Football Association (SFA) doctor with more than 20 years of research experience.
In addition, soccer clubs are required to reduce the number of training sessions in which heading is practiced as a repetitive exercise to one day per week. The Scottish Football Association has already developed rules restricting the use of heading in youth football, as well as a ban on heading during training sessions for players up to the age of 12. The new rules are being introduced following consultation with 50 professional men’s and women’s clubs in Scotland and a survey of SFA clubs.
The Scottish Football Association (SFA) has already developed rules to restrict heading in training for players up to the age of 12. We explain quickly, simply, and clearly what happened, why it matters, and what happens next. The number of episodes should remain: Offers End of story Podcast advertising Scotland was also the first country in the world to adopt a single set of recommendations for concussion across all sports, and has run a campaign under the slogan “If in doubt, sit them out”. This means that if a coach or staff member suspects that an athlete has suffered a concussion or head injury, they should remove them from the game or practice.
The BBC’s Scottish sports correspondent, Chris McLaughlin, notes that scientists have found a link between playing football and brain injuries, but science still cannot explain with absolute certainty why this happens. However, studies suggest that defenders are most at risk because they statistically use their heads more than others. “Experts do not want to tempt fate. It may take decades to prove hypotheses and get accurate answers, but scientists do not want to wait. Current trends in the game are such that heading is already on the decline, and under the pressure of new scientific data, it is not difficult to imagine a future football where heading is not played at all,” the BBC correspondent points out.