Player safety and well being in any sport should take precedence over all other considerations. It’s common sense. However, the latest decision by the U.S Soccer Federation to eliminate heading for children 10 and under has stirred the usually dormant waters of football regulations.
The restrictions came to life as the result of a settlement from a lawsuit that was filed against the leading youth soccer groups last year. A group of players and parents filed a class-action suit citing that player concussions were not being taken seriously by the authorities ruling the game.
The court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, requiring the USSF to initiate standard protocols to follow when a player is deemed to have suffered a concussion. However the USSF is taking it a step further and have announced that they will be implementing a widespread initiative aiming to:
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- “Improve concussion awareness and education among youth coaches, referees, parents and players”;
- “Implement more uniform concussion management and return-to-play protocols for youth players suspected of having suffered a concussion”;
- “Modify the substitution rules to insure such rules do not serve as an impediment to the evaluation of players who may have suffered a concussion during games”;
- “Eliminate heading for children 10 and under and limit heading in practice for children between the ages of 11 and 13”
In a statement from USSF, CEO and Secretary General Dan Flynn said: “We are proud to be leaders in the area of concussion education and management.” He also informed the public that the “player safety initiative was under way before the current lawsuit was filed”.
Flynn also shed light on the process that led to this decision: “USSF sought input from its medical science committee which includes experts in the field of concussion diagnosis and management, as well as from its technical advisors, to develop a true consensus based program.”
However, in a recent article on CBS News, Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson mentioned that “it’s unclear what degree heading causes concussion and long standing injury.” The Executive Director of Digital Health at Seattle Children’s Hospital, also noted that there is no agreed upon consensus by pediatric experts on whether heading the ball does cause damage to the brain.
It remains to be seen how the US Soccer Federation will be able to implement the initiative. Heading is an integral part of the game, and the notion that limited headers will be allowed per week during practice will be difficult to monitor. Other considerations come up as well: should a striker let a golden opportunity to score a goal pass by if they had reached their limit for the week? Should a defender under pressure, not head the ball back to the keeper and instead risk putting the keeper under more pressure by using their feet? How would players defend a set piece?
There is no arguing that concussion should definitely be addressed and prevented in youth soccer. But the USSF needs to also make sure that youth development is not hampered by the new decision.
You can also enjoy the beauty of headers here.