Doing nothing is not an option

[Frigiliana Pie 1]

Football without heading is literally unimaginable. How would defenders deal with a long clearance from the opposing goalkeeper? Would there be any point in a wide player putting a high cross into the goalmouth? Would it be necessary to reduce the number of players on each side to allow a greater chance of passes being threaded through a defence at ground level?

I guess the only way to find out the answers to these and many other questions would be to introduce a “no heading “ rule as an experiment in a particular tournament. Perhaps the EFL Trophy has a use after all?

[51Magpie]

If headgear could be optimised to offer an acceptable level of protection (however you may set/measure that) it would seem likely that it would also make it very difficult to head the ball with any degree of control. Every header a cushioned header? Any more bullet headers? How about looping headers to the far top corner?

[BanjoPie]

Do not all sports carry a small risk of injury?
What is the number of ex-footballers who have had this health issue? - to calculate the risk, you would need this figure and measure it against the total number of ex-footballers, I don’t know the figures but would think it is quite unlikely there is a high risk.

Punching someone in the head ie; boxing, should this be banned? - far greater risk I would imagine.

All marshal-arts sports carry a risk of long-term injury as does cricket, cycle racing, motor sports, horse-riding - it is noticeable that many of the sports I have mentioned (boxing apart) mostly wear some form of protective headwear but in football, I believe it will have to be a personal choice if and when protective headwear becomes available.

If you don’t want fame and glory - take up fishing! but don’t fall in - you may drown!!

[repus_stton]

Players suffering with Dementia may be from an age when balls were 25% heavier and absorbed water. We can not take heading out of the game as we have already reduced tackling and contact.
We may have been champions last year if the headers weren't allowed !!!

My mother passed away from dementia and never played football.

[legs77]

Well Repus a guy working on it has said the heavy ball has shown to be no different to now results are the same.

He says now as the ball is lighter it has greater speed and the ball is easier to lift in the air then it was in the 60s so you head it more.

For every one header with the old ball you may do 2-3 with a lighter ball and he says it has the same impact.

They wont stop heading the ball all together imo as the game would be rubbish.

Ive heard it said boxing should be banned and no bouncers in cricket what is the point of that the batter has a huge advantage then.

[kill_the_drum]

Surely in any walk of life, repetition creates problems.
I know plenty of tradesman that all suffer with one issue or another, caused by their profession. Those issues will probably stay with them long into retirement. Likewise I worked in an office where everyone suffered with back problems, because the job require them sit on their arse for hours a day. Health and safety put measures in place to reduce these issues, but the reality is we don’t adhere to them, get on with our job and suffer the consequences. It’s just life!
It may seem a bit heartless but I don’t see how this is any different.

[i961pie]

Can you imagine a high ball into the box and everyone ducks, it would ruin the game.

[upthemaggies]

This thread prompted me to look at some classic headed goals. I ended up with Vinny Jones attempting to head-butt Roy Keane in the nuts followed by a slightly miss-timed tackle on Eric Cantona.......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFz8N9UUVHA


Some of our most important goals of all time were headers. Lawton's at the City Ground was said to be the greatest Notts goal ever by those who witnessed it, Les Bradd's last minute winner at the same ground in 1975 and Craig Short at Wembley to seal the win over Tranmere.

I think they have to try and limit the amount players head the ball in training to an absolute minimum and cut it out of Junior football, but you can't ban it completely from the game.

[forwardmagpie]

Looking forward to the world tiddlywinks championship, I hope all the players are wearing goggles.

The heading issue is obviously serious but like most things in life when you know the risks you can make an informed choice. I am concerned that in over 250 games I think I may have headed the ball three times I was obviously a bit like Martin Peters ten years ahead of my time.

[Elite_Pie]

Can you imagine a high ball into the box and everyone ducks, it would ruin the game.

Andy White did it regularly.