NFR: report recommends heading should be banned

[SP]

Need to look at the report properly but any change is going to be difficult.  I do think they need to take action but an all out ban will be difficult to get through.

[blingo]

Without headers it wouldn't be football anymore lol.

[perry geyton]

Just make em wear crash helmets
Sorted !!

[Slaphead in Qatar]

So when will boxing be banned then?

[Woolly Mammoth]

They need their heads examining.

[grandad]

I really don´t see what the problem is with the beach balls they use currently. I was brought up with real leather balls where no amount of Dubbin kept them from absorbing water. I still have the scars over my eyebrows from the laces.

[MikeTheCubed]

Nanny state on steroids.

[Logicalman]

I really don´t see what the problem is with the beach balls they use currently. I was brought up with real leather balls where no amount of Dubbin kept them from absorbing water. I still have the scars over my eyebrows from the laces.

Yup, I was a keeper in those younger days, and if you think heading it was hard, try stopping a soaking wet ball that weighs twice as much as it did at the start of the match, what with the water and the mud!  :dft004:

[cottage expat]

What's next? A ban on tackling?

[love4ffc]

I mentioned before that Silva in his first interview stated that the new rule was no player could take more than 10 forceful headers during a practice session. 

[The Rational Fan]

We need to start by banning heading for under 15s and over 45s football. All other football should have a choice between non-water absorbing balls (for professionals), lighter balls or no heading allowed. In addition, there should be alternative competitions organised for adult men and women with no heading and safer rules.

As for professional men's football, it will be impossible to change much for a least a decade, until all footballers have come through junior ranks without heading.

I personally think juniors footballers can practice heading with lighter balls and learn it in games from 15 years old onwards. It might slow a few centre-backs transition to professional football, but any decent centre back should start at full back anyway.

[Nick Bateman]

I think it's a different era of football today to the heavy laced leather balls often sodden with mud and water Jeff Astle used to apply his noggin to. By comparison, today's footballs are like beach balls!!

What causes more brain damage is when dangerous lunantics like David Luiz (deliberately?) smash into a player with a headbutt and are not condemned by the media nor sanctioned by referees. Look at the Gary Cahill one which ended the career of Ryan Mason.

[The Rational Fan]

I think it's a different era of football today to the heavy laced leather balls often sodden with mud and water Jeff Astle used to apply his noggin to. By comparison, today's footballs are like beach balls!!

What causes more brain damage is when dangerous lunantics like David Luiz (deliberately?) smash into a player with a headbutt and are not condemned by the media nor sanctioned by referees. Look at the Gary Cahill one which ended the career of Ryan Mason.

Football has the opportunity to self-regulate the situation now, and make the necessary changes in a decent sensible timeframe. Of course, football won't do anything, instead they will wait, then someone finds out the brain damage to children and the nanny state will take over banning all heading immediately.

Like with many other political issues, the authorities will do nothing for as long as possible (rather than implement moderate slow changes) because people resist change, until a massive overreaction is universally supported (often after a major incident like a death to a young child etc). If your too young to drink a beer or drive a car, then maybe you should be heading a ball in a competitive game.

[The Rock]

We need to start by banning heading for under 15s and over 45s football. All other football should have a choice between non-water absorbing balls (for professionals), lighter balls or no heading allowed. In addition, there should be alternative competitions organised for adult men and women with no heading and safer rules.

As for professional men's football, it will be impossible to change much for a least a decade, until all footballers have come through junior ranks without heading.

I personally think juniors footballers can practice heading with lighter balls and learn it in games from 15 years old onwards. It might slow a few centre-backs transition to professional football, but any decent centre back should start at full back anyway.

No no no. It really should be U16's and players over 44 don't you think? What does Tony Khan say if this isn't Tony posting directly?

[Woolly Mammoth]

We need to start by banning heading for under 15s and over 45s football. All other football should have a choice between non-water absorbing balls (for professionals), lighter balls or no heading allowed. In addition, there should be alternative competitions organised for adult men and women with no heading and safer rules.

As for professional men's football, it will be impossible to change much for a least a decade, until all footballers have come through junior ranks without heading.

I personally think juniors footballers can practice heading with lighter balls and learn it in games from 15 years old onwards. It might slow a few centre-backs transition to professional football, but any decent centre back should start at full back anyway.

No no no. It really should be U16's and players over 44 don't you think? What does Tony Khan say if this isn't Tony posting directly?

Your suspicions are valid, I can confirm it is the owners son I recognise his tights.

[RaySmith]

I think it's a different era of football today to the heavy laced leather balls often sodden with mud and water Jeff Astle used to apply his noggin to. By comparison, today's footballs are like beach balls!!

What causes more brain damage is when dangerous lunantics like David Luiz (deliberately?) smash into a player with a headbutt and are not condemned by the media nor sanctioned by referees. Look at the Gary Cahill one which ended the career of Ryan Mason.

Football has the opportunity to self-regulate the situation now, and make the necessary changes in a decent sensible timeframe. Of course, football won't do anything, instead they will wait, then someone finds out the brain damage to children and the nanny state will take over banning all heading immediately.

Like with many other political issues, the authorities will do nothing for as long as possible (rather than implement moderate slow changes) because people resist change, until a massive overreaction is universally supported (often after a major incident like a death to a young child etc). If your too young to drink a beer or drive a car, then maybe you should be heading a ball in a competitive game.

The football authorities are doing something, as mentioned above by Love4FFC re Silva's comments on new directives - ie only 10 headers per  training session, which Silva agreed would be almost impossible to implement in practise, but said they would keep an eye on things.

I also  think they have introduced measures re young players.

I agree with Nick that the old ball which  it's alleged caused damage to Jeff Astle and other players from those generations, was far heavier, especially when wet,  than the modern ball.

But research  has apparently found that the modern ball is also dangerous to head repeatedly.
But how legitimate is the research? How many players from the modern era have got Alzheimer's disease, and how do they know if heading is the main cause?

Rugby players have claimed that their early onset  Alzheimer's was caused by playing rugby, and it seems likely that rugby will be affected  by new legislation.
Rugby seems far more dangerous to play than football, especially at an early age.

I don't  think football is dangerous to play, but heading has obviously become an issue.