Equipment has been modified, rules have been implemented, technological tools have been introduced to give more “truth” to the game, safety protocols have been created and the main competition formats have been modified, among other things . Football has undergone many changes over time and it will certainly continue this process of evolution in the future. It is also natural that the upcoming changes will attempt to address some concerns regarding player health.
For example, warnings have been repeated about the problems that head hits and sustained blows to the head can cause football players. The subject is not new and has already been addressed by many sports figures, and today it is his turn John Stiles hits the nail on the head. Styles watched his father, Nobby Styles, die in 2020 from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), caused by the numerous hits he took throughout his career. Naturally, John remains one of the most active voices and does not let this issue be forgotten.
The same regulatory bodies have already launched action plans to understand and promote the brain health of players, and have also encouraged specific changes. In the UK, for example, headers have been banned for children under 11, and the Premier League has already imposed a maximum of 10 powerful headers per week on each player. Additionally, additional substitutions for concussion are also in effect.
It’s a topic that has also been discussed in Portugal, where José Pedro Márquez, a sports doctor who has worked with youth teams since 2015, was a guest on a Portuguese Football Federation podcast on the subject in 2021 The big question is: can this cause Capes dementia in the long term?
“Studies indicate that there is a link between playing football and an increased risk of developing dementia. They don’t prove causation, just association. They cannot prove cause and effect, especially since there are a series of factors that can confound this association,” he began by saying. Explain how to prove this causality:
“We will have to take a large number of players and follow this population from the start of their career until 60 or 70 years old. We will count the headers made by each of them and see, at the end of their career, a systematic register of dementias, we will analyze this data”, he explained. “And if we find that the players who made more heads suffered more dementia than those who played less, then yes, we would have reliable evidence of a causal relationship.”
UEFA recommendations
The European Union is also working to prevent the development of the disease and has therefore sent the federations a list of recommendations to prevent concussions. Get to know them:
1. Appropriately sized balls should be used for each level.
two. These balls should have minimal pressure.
3. Reduce drills containing vertical strikes, especially at the youth level.
4. Do some exercises to strengthen your neck muscles.
5. Educate sports officials about the signs and symptoms and how to respond in the event of a concussion.
Signs of concussion
Asking simple questions is the first step if a concussion is suspected. “Find out the result of the match or the name of the athlete, for example. Additionally, you should watch out for possible time and place confusions, misalignments, and changes in vision or hearing. When you wake up, it is important to notice if there is any dizziness or headache.
North American example
Contrary to what many might think, this procedure has been in place since 2014 in the United States. That year, the United States Federation was forced to change the rules of the games, after a lawsuit brought by players and their parents against FIFA, the North American Soccer Confederation and the United States Youth Soccer Organization.
In this process, the plaintiffs pointed the finger at these three organizations, highlighting their negligence in neglecting to highlight the impact of this artistic gesture, and demanding that the number of ball heads of players under the age of 17 be determined.
Thus, an official regulation was issued in November 2015, signed by the American Federation, prohibiting players under the age of 10 from heading the ball. As for players aged 11 to 13, their artistic gestures are limited.
Later, on January 1, 2016, the same body decided that this rule would be applied to all Major League Soccer youth teams and academies.
When a player intentionally heads the ball during a match, an indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team at the scene of the violation.
Finally, North American regulations also state that if a player is suspected of having suffered a head injury, he must be replaced immediately for a medical evaluation, without this substitution being taken into account in the replacement cap. Basically, changing this player is not included in the number of changes allowed.
Words from the experts
In general, we are faced with a problem that has been addressed periodically for over 20 years. Could this limitation have consequences? John McClean, the former Scottish national team doctor, was part of the study group that approved the measure banning children. He emphasizes that even if there is no specific evidence, precaution is always the best medicine.
“We cannot wait for evidence because it takes a long time to evaluate it. We must take sensitive and practical steps to reduce the overall scale of the problem. If young people already have this limitation, they will do it. “Being able to develop differently in terms of potential neurological damage,” he began.
He concluded: “This is not a case where the person heading the ball later develops dementia. Children shouldn’t even head the ball. This is not a positive thing for their development.
Strategic and tactical aspect
Of course, health comes first, but it will always be difficult to implement stricter measures because heading is an important technical move during a football match. Don’t forget about set pieces, such as indirect free kicks and corners. The limitations placed on children cause them to learn to play a different game than they will face at a later age. All of these issues need to be addressed by regulators, but reaching the top of this mountain is difficult.
