Scottish football bans headers in training ...

I understand what you mean mate, I don't think I articulated my point very well.

Even if we put it in a contract, it's not really a choice. We'd effectively be saying, if you want a career in football, you've to accept the risk of developing dementia later in life.

As I say, I don't know what the answer is. I wouldn't want to remove heading from the game, but how do we protect people, without excluding people from the game who are conscious of their health?

I personally think taking heading out of training is a good start. It reduces the risk of unnecessary stress to the brain, it can be enforced as a blanket thing across all football, and it doesn't impact the game at a competitive level.

 

I think once the medical evidence is there (is it? I think so.) that repeated heading of the ball can cause degenerative brain diseases then authorities have to act. I watched the documentary on Steve Thompson in Rugby talking about his early onset dementia:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-u...s diagnosed in 2020,known as sub-concussions".

You can' read/watch it and not think - is it really worth it? Bread & Circus.

 

The ban comes in next season in junior grassroots football heading the ball purposefully is punished with a indirect free kick. I can see why this is but it will change the game altogether defenders will have to duck out of heading the ball and the skill of crossing a ball will be pointless how kids adjust when they need these attributes will be interesting.

 

I played rugby for years, but had to stop due to a series of bad concussions. Doctor advised against playing contact sports ever again.

I now play football for a vets team, but don't head the ball. The game is different without headers, but not hugely so. Given how many old footballers die of dementia, my father included, I would be shocked if we're still heading the ball in 15-20 years time.