When they ban heading in football

[PeteC]

If they ban heading in Football, which i think they will, what could it be replaced by? Is there another part of the body that could be a reasonable substitute?

Any part of the arm except the hands?

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/arti ... ewwr1y8l5o

[Big Boy]

My first thought was, "Is it 1st April?"

Personally, I have to wonder what sample of players have they used when coming to this conclusion? Years ago balls were very heavy - I remember being knocked silly by a few of those cannon balls, especially if the laces got me.

Modern balls are so light, I think the problem is minimal these days, if it exists at all.

I am not convinced.

[Dannie Boy]

Obviously there’s a series of medical teams who have been looking at this for many years and their research is, shall I say, a bit more investigative than BB’'s off the cuff remarks about footballs being a lot lighter than they were when he (and I) started playing the game. You can find countless articles on the subject but here’s one that looks ok.

https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/f ... ury-crisis

[Big Boy]

I stopped reading that when it became obvious the list were all users of the cannon balls, and they included that well known header of the ball, Peter Bonetti amongst the afflicted.

[Dannie Boy]

I’m sure that others will post their views - for me football without heading would take away a huge amount of enjoyment, however the medical facts support that heading a ball repeatedly does impact the brain, particularly in younger people, so the risk of suffering some form of increased cognitive impact in later life sounds realistic.

[Big Boy]

No heading of the ball would kill football for me.

[PeteC]

Pharvey needs to start a thread for the Rugby problem. A lot are dying in their 50's from brain related problems. Much tougher contact sport but at the end of the day I think eventually all players will have to wear the soft helmet we see now, or an advanced model with more protection. They don't need the NFL style, but they need something more than what they have now.

[joelle]

No heading of the ball would kill football for me.

My answer maybe silly, but I can't see why ? After all it is called football not headball!! Therefore use of feet nothing else

[Dannie Boy]

The problem is that we’ve got used to the game as it is for over 100 years, so a dramatic “banning” of heading the ball would be a huge change from what we’ve grown up with.

But from a purely medical point of view, it looks as though long term heading of (even modern footballs) can cause long-term brain injuries.


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[Dannie Boy]

No heading of the ball would kill football for me.

My answer maybe silly, but I can't see why ? After all it is called football not headball!! Therefore use of feet nothing else

On the other hand (pun intended) maybe they could ban heading but at the same time allow the use of hands to put the ball in the back of the net?


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[dtaai-maai]

Pharvey needs to start a thread for the Rugby problem.

Or perhaps a thread for head contact/brain injuries in all sports. Football, rugby, NFL, boxing (especially!), MMA, and undoubtedly many more. Even cricket!

[caller]

When the guys suffering now were playing, the footballs were really heavy and even more so when wet. I am sure there is a risk to all footballs, but as someone who started out with the old heavy balls, but saw them replaced with lighter materials almost season by season, the difference is actually hard to comprehend. and now they are lighter still.

Like I say, I am sure there is still a risk, but if you look at older pro's, the other thing is the damage to the body, just from running on the mud baths before modern technology aided playing surfaces and the damage whacking those heavy balls did to ankles, knees and hips. A walking stick or even a wheelchair is not uncommon for such players.

When at 31, I broke my ankle badly, not on the pitch, but at my sisters house in Oz, the orthapedic surgeon who operated on me, asked from reviewing my x-rays, whether I played soccer or rugby, I replied soccer, and asked why he was asking, and he said he wondered what the cause of the arthritis in my ankle was, I was shocked, 'arthritis'? He said, 'oh, I am sure it won't do you any long term harm, as long as you keep relatively active, but kicking a football is about as unnatural as it gets!' The ankles fine, so far, but my knee never recovered from damaged and stretched ligaments, that resulted in a dislocation.

Perhaps all sport should be banned, just saying!

[thecolonel]

The problem is that we’ve got used to the game as it is for over 100 years, so a dramatic “banning” of heading the ball would be a huge change from what we’ve grown up with.

But from a purely medical point of view, it looks as though long term heading of (even modern footballs) can cause long-term brain injuries.


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Is there not a simple train of thought that says if they've not banned boxing (yet) then they're unlikely to ban heading in football?

Different authorities mind you

You could also suffer a heart attack while playing football or become a paraplegic so where do you draw the line?



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[Big Boy]

I wonder, how many of those listed in DBs link above would have chosen a different career had they known the dangers.

Young men and women still enlist in armies knowing they may get sent to war and maimed or killed for much less reward than a professional footballer.

I'm sure these experts could be employed studying something that would be of much greater benefit to the world of science.

[Lost]

Not read the replies yet, just the thread title. Heading a football is never going to be banned in football.