Major heading restrictions agreed for English football at all levels this season
The amount of heading allowed by players in training across the adult game in English football is to be severely restricted from this season because of welfare concerns, under guidance agreed by the game’s main bodies.
The Football Association, Premier League, English Football League, Professional Footballers’ Association and League Managers Association issued recommendations on Wednesday amid fears that repeated heading may lead to dementia.
In professional football the recommendation is that “a maximum of 10 higher-force headers are carried out in any training week”. A joint statement said: “These are typically headers following a long pass (more than 35m) or from crosses, corners and free-kicks.”
It said multiple preliminary studies showed “the majority of headers involve low forces”. The guidance will likely require clubs to change training routines, including for the practice of some set plays.
“This recommendation is provided to protect player welfare and will be reviewed regularly as further research is undertaken to understand more regarding the impact of heading in football,” the statement said.
Heading guidance for adult amateur football is that practice be “limited to 10 headers per session and only one session a week where heading practice is included”. Players are asked to monitor their own numbers.
The FA’s chief executive, Mark Bullingham, said: “We already have the most comprehensive guidelines in the world for youth football and now we are introducing, in partnership with the other football bodies, the most comprehensive adult football guidelines anywhere. Our heading guidance now reaches across all players, at all levels of the game.
“These measures have been developed following studies with coaches and medics and represent a cautious approach whilst we learn more. We are committed to further medical research to gain an understanding of any risks within football; in the meantime this reduces a potential risk factor.”
Professional clubs are to be encour
aged to ensure players have adequate time after matches to recover from heading and will be given guidance on how to practise heading techniques with lower forces. Initial evidence indicates forces are lower when a ball is thrown rather than kicked and when a player heads from a standing jump rather than running on to the ball.
Guidance for junior players, introduced last year, is that no heading in training be allowed for primary school children. A graduated approach to heading begins at under-12 level.