The reason for this was research showing that former football players are more likely to die from brain diseases
English Football Association (FA) will ban heading football players under the age of 11.
We are talking about “deliberate” heading, the purpose of the ban is to increase the safety of the game.
The ban will be introduced gradually: first for children no older than seven years old, then no older than nine. From 2025, U-10 players will be banned, and from 2026, U-11 players.
The new restriction will apply to all affiliated leagues for children of appropriate ages, as well as school matches. According to the new rules, a child’s intentional heading will be punished by a penalty kick in favor of the opposing team.
The FA conducted a two-year trial period before introducing this innovation. The reason for the implementation of the innovation was research showing that former football players are more likely to die from brain diseases than other people, with heading being cited as an obvious probabilistic factor.
“We continue to take a leading role in reviewing and improving the security of our game. Our aim is also to create more technical opportunities for players with the ball at their feet, to ensure more effective playing time and to reduce the time the ball is in the air during a match,” the Football Association commented on the move.
At the beginning of 2018, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin stated that the organization was considering the possibility of introducing a ban on heading by football players playing at the children’s level.
Source: Sportarena
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