Scotland will prohibit professional players from heading the ball in training the day before and the day after a game.
In addition, clubs are instructed to limit repetitive heading exercises to one session per week.
Former football players are three-and-a-half times more likely to die from brain disease, according to a study conducted at the University of Glasgow.
According to experts, there may be a connection between the repetitive heading of the ball and this condition.
The Scottish Football Association (SFA) has previously established restrictions restricting heading in juvenile football, including a prohibition on headers in training for children under the age of 12.
With the “If in doubt, sit them out” campaign, Scotland was also the first nation to implement a unified set of concussion rules for all sports.
The revised criteria are being implemented following consultation with all 50 professional men’s and women’s clubs in Scotland and an SFA survey of clubs to determine heading trends.
The clubs have also been instructed to monitor heading activity during training to reduce the overall contact burden.
Memory deficits
Dr. John MacLean has served as the SFA’s doctor for over two decades and participated in the 2019 field study that revealed the link between dementia and retired professional athletes.
“Although the study is ongoing, what we already know about heading and its effects on the brain suggests that a sequence of headings causes a memory impairment that lasts 24-48 hours and that brain-related proteins can be discovered in blood samples shortly after heading,” he explained.
“Brain scan abnormalities connected to heading have also been documented in football players.
“Therefore, the objective is to limit any potential cumulative effect of heading by minimizing exposure to heading throughout training.”
Many training routines that entail set-piece drills the day before a game will be altered as a result of the new standards.
Dr. MacLean stated, “We’ve taken our time with this because we wanted to interact with stakeholders across football.”
“We wanted to establish a benchmark for the amount of heading that occurs in training.
“Thereafter, the Scottish FA engaged with players via PFA Scotland, as well as clubs, managers, and coaches.
It was all about joint responsibility and ensuring the health and safety of the players.
Natural inclination
Joelle Murray, a defender for the Hibs women’s team, stated that she supported the change but that it was difficult to strike a balance because teams practiced set pieces the day before a game.
“We cannot disregard the research and findings, but we will need to modify our training week,” she said.
“You don’t want players to abandon their natural tendency to head the ball. You wouldn’t want that to have an effect on those events on game day, so they are attempting to establish a balance.
“So many former athletes are now afflicted with dementia as a result of what we believe was an excessive amount of heading during their playing careers.”
Also, research indicates that women are more likely than males to develop dementia from heading the ball.
Murray stated, “I think about it more while training.” “The girls may laugh because I may duck out of a cross or a ball into the box, but on game day I don’t give it a second thought. You simply head the ball to clear the field.
If you don’t train that way, you may see more play on the ground as opposed to in the air on game day, which could have a beneficial impact in both directions.
Matching heading
Andy Gould, the SFA’s chief football officer, stated that there was already a substantial amount of information regarding in-game heading.
However, he stated that the most recent research was “useful for knowing the level of heading load in the training environment.”
He said, “I am grateful to the clubs, managers, and players for providing us with the information and viewpoints necessary to facilitate an informed and data-driven dialogue that has resulted in the release of guidelines intended to preserve the safety and well-being of our players.
This year, the English Football Association (FA) issued recommendations for teams that limit players to ten high-impact headers per week during training.
In recent years, several prominent former footballers, notably former Celtic captain Billy McNeill and former England World Cup champion and Republic of Ireland manager Jack Charlton, have died from dementia.
There are significant physical and mental benefits to playing football, but the actions taken in recent years to minimize heading in the game reflect the growing worry regarding the evidence that links football to long-term brain harm.
The scant opposition from Scottish clubs to new criteria that could radically alter how players prepare and coaches coach is further evidence that the message is being received.
When new standards are announced or new research is published, the fundamental question “Is heading a football safe?” always arises.
The scientific community has yet to determine why previous professionals are deteriorating. The most recent statistics indicate that defenders are statistically more likely to head the ball.
For all of these reasons, the specialists do not take any chances.
Science is unwilling to wait decades for the data that will lead to a conclusive conclusion from new metrics.
The evolution of style and tactics has already resulted in fewer headers in the game, but if the changes continue as a result of accumulating scientific data and pressure, it is not difficult to envision a future without headers.
