Football players under the age of 10 will be barred from head access as part of a series of safety measures aimed at combating head injuries in the sport, the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) announced, ending the threat of a class action lawsuit.
The revised safety measures will also limit the number of headers during training for players aged 11 to 13, a statement on the US Soccer website confirmed.
The new rules will be strictly followed by USSF Soccer national youth teams and youth sections of Major League Soccer teams, but are only recommendations for teams and associations outside of US Soccer’s control.
The guidelines were developed to resolve a legal case brought in California federal court by a group of parents and players alleging not enough was being done to treat and monitor head injuries.
No damages were sought in the suit, only changes to the rules governing the sport in the United States.
As part of this resolution, the USSF has developed an extensive program to improve concussion awareness and education among youth coaches, referees, parents and players, a release states.
The rules governing the maximum number of substitutions would also be changed to ensure they do not pose a barrier to the assessment of players who have suffered concussion during matches.
“In constructing the concussion component, US Soccer sought the advice of its Medical Scientific Committee which includes experts in the field of concussion diagnosis and management, as well as its technical advisors, and worked with its youth members to develop a true consensus-based program,” US Soccer CEO Dan Flynn said in a statement.
Steve Berman, lead attorney for the plaintiffs, said the new security measures met the goals of the case, which would now be dropped.
“We are pleased to have been able to play a role in improving the safety of the sport for children playing football in this country,” he said.
A recent study by Denver scientists examined concussions that occurred in American football players between 2005 and 2014.
The study found that although no-heading rules would likely reduce the number of concussions, the leading causes of head injuries involved contact between athletes.
AFP
