Should heading be banned in football?

If the evidence is as overwhelming as is suggested (and I don't know if it is), then its bonkers that it hasn't been.

Its outlawed at kids level now and the game can be easily just as entertaining as it is now at professional level, it would just need to change. Indirect free kick if there's a header, wherever it is on the pitch, but could easily just be outlawed eventually like handball is.

Most professional teams and their fans now demand centre-halves to be able to play football anyway, so I don't really see that it would be such a big deal. People just don't like change. Players like Messi and Maradona would absolutely still exist (no Hand of God either).
 
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GingerTravel said:
It's banned in children's football up to a certain age. I don't think it's a huge step to move that to adult football - however it would be a totally different game. There would be limited point having taller players other than the goalie for example.
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The FA have to start taking this seriously - over 3 times as likely to get dementia to the rest of the population - and now it has been clinically tested as being from CTE - punch drunk from heading a ball. There has to be some action taken to at least greatly reduce heading in training and for all youth football.
This will present a big challenge for the women's and girl'd game also as they are even more sensitive to CTE - punch drunk.

It is a shame more of you didn't come to the session we held at Dorman Museum with Dr Gates - she could have answered all the questions being raised.
 
RavsFan said:
I don’t think it’ll be banned anytime soon, some sort of regular testing may have to be undertaken and on going monitoring of cases at all clubs in the professional game, amateurs, well that is another matter.
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The critical problem is there is no test for CTE - punch drunk - until the person is dead.
 
I can’t see it being banned. The game will change completely. Corners will be largely pointless if the ball can’t be whipped into the box. The art of putting a decent cross into the box will be lost. I can’t see it happening.
 
fmttmadmin said:
The critical problem is there is no test for CTE - punch drunk - until the person is dead.
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You'd imagine this would put a lot of people off.

I don't really understand the argument of 'yeah but its not as bad as rugby/boxing' etc. I'd still rather not have dementia, personally. Thankfully I haven't headed a ball regularly since the 2000s.
 
king_hellfire said:
I can’t see it being banned. The game will change completely. Corners will be largely pointless if the ball can’t be whipped into the box. The art of putting a decent cross into the box will be lost. I can’t see it happening.
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If your team had a free kick now towards the corner flag, would it be pointless? A 'decent cross' will still exist it just won't be floated across in the air. It will encourage players to try and beat defenders before they cross it (lower).

The game will, of course, change but if you stop and think about it its not as if the sport will suddenly be unworkable. Loads of people play nothing above head-height in 5-a-side anyway, it'll just be on a bigger pitch.
 
king_hellfire said:
I can’t see it being banned. The game will change completely. Corners will be largely pointless if the ball can’t be whipped into the box. The art of putting a decent cross into the box will be lost. I can’t see it happening.
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There is always a way.

Instead of whipping a high ball into the box from a corner there will be more intricate set plays along the ground.

There won't be any tedious head tennis following a high clearance.

Keepers rarely boot it up the pitch these days anyway, in fact the game has developed a lot that way in recent years, less hoofing and more play on the ground.

Personally I prefer it that way but that's just me.
 
atypical_boro said:
If your team had a free kick now towards the corner flag, would it be pointless? A 'decent cross' will still exist it just won't be floated across in the air. It will encourage players to try and beat defenders before they cross it (lower).

The game will, of course, change but if you stop and think about it its not as if the sport will suddenly be unworkable. Loads of people play nothing above head-height in 5-a-side anyway, it'll just be on a bigger pitch.
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The ball is more than likely to be played backwards towards your own half in order to retain possession. It’s unlikely the ball will be played into a crowded box at ground level on the off-chance the ball ricochets into the goal through a sea of players.
 
king_hellfire said:
The ball is more than likely to be played backwards towards your own half in order to retain possession. It’s unlikely the ball will be played into a crowded box at ground level on the off-chance the ball ricochets into the goal through a sea of players.
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Well, its not like games will just play out to 0-0 is it? It will just develop, goals will still be worth scoring!
 
atypical_boro said:
OK, yeah they might. But its not like the game will die will it? Loads of people want to play like Man City.
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It is a weird one isn’t it.
We are knowingly letting people push themselves into a bigger dementia risk and people are happy to defend it.

In a normal workplace environment H+S are there to support those in the business by keeping them safe as possible and the CEO out of prison.

If its a sport - doesn’t seem to matter🤑
 
1finny said:
It is a weird one isn’t it.
We are knowingly letting people push themselves into a bigger dementia risk and people are happy to defend it.

In a normal workplace environment H+S are there to support those in the business by keeping them safe as possible and the CEO out of prison.

If its a sport - doesn’t seem to matter🤑
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I’m not happy to defend it, I just think the powers-that-be will do whatever they can to prevent heading being banned. If it helps prevent brain damage then I’m all for it but it will change the game for the worse in the process, in my opinion.

As someone mentioned earlier, while sports like boxing and MMA are allowed they’d have a hard time banning heading in football.
 
1finny said:
It is a weird one isn’t it.
We are knowingly letting people push themselves into a bigger dementia risk and people are happy to defend it.

In a normal workplace environment H+S are there to support those in the business by keeping them safe as possible and the CEO out of prison.

If its a sport - doesn’t seem to matter🤑
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The argument will soon become 'they know what they're getting themselves into' etc, except that most people who 'start' playing football these days are around 5 years of age, they kind of don't know what they're getting into.

Fair enough, soon they'll be able to say 'well from 12 onwards they can make their own decisions' and maybe there's evidence that not heading it between the age of 5 and 12 reduces the risk significantly, but I'm even wrestling with what to say to my sons when they turn 12 in a few years and if I'm comfortable with it.
 
king_hellfire said:
I’m not happy to defend it, I just think the powers-that-be will do whatever they can to prevent heading being banned. If it helps prevent brain damage then I’m all for it but it will change the game for the worse in the process, in my opinion.
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That’s the point most are making - it will worsen the game…… so lets crack on and leave them to their dementia
 
1finny said:
That’s the point most are making - it will worsen the game…… so lets crack on and leave them to their dementia
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Like it or not, the money-men are only interested in money, and will do their utmost to keep that money rolling in. If banning headers means less money they will use every excuse under the sun to keep it in the game. If it doesn’t affect their income then I’d assume they’d be fine with the ban.
 
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