You must use the head to protect our football kids
Subs plea for youth players
Gordon Blackstock
Youth foot ball should i n t roduce concussion substitutes to protect children from head injuries, researchers have said.
Academics made the recommendation when it compared attitudes among Scottish and American coaches towards head collisions in girls’ football.
The study – led by Professor Anne Demartini of the Sports Management department at Flagler College in Florida – found there was “much room for improvement” on both sides of the Atlantic.
Coaches in the US are required by law to be trained on how to deal with head injuries and it was the f irst nation to prohibit children from heading a bal l in 2015. Scotland copied the ban last year.
Players in the US are also required to stop playing if they are concussed and need a doctor’s certificate at least a day later before they are allowed to play again.
US and Scottish coaches interviewed for the research – published in the International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching – said they had personal experience of concussion, with two reporting witnessing it in girls’ football.
Prof Demartini’s study recommended: “Governing bodies of youth soccer in the US and Scotland should also consider rule changes to improve concussion management. For instance, allowing rolling substitutions, which permits players to enter and leave the game without restrictions, would allow for players to be assessed more frequently when a concussion is suspected without impacting youth soccer achievement.”
Prof Demartini said: “The results of this study suggest that girls’ soccer coaches are willing to follow and engage wi th concussion management regulations in the US and Scotland.
“Coaches demonstrated a desire to protect their players and for additional
knowledge regarding sportsrelated concussion management. “Scottish youth soccer clubs, in particular, can play a key role in improving concussion management. “Sharing information of guidelines may be particularly crucial in Scotland, where many coaches lacked knowledge of the guidelines even before the recent policy changes.”
In 2019, a Glasgow University study found ex-professional players were three-and-a-half times more likely to die of degenerative brain disease than the general population.
Retired players with dementia have claimed heading the ball and concussions suffered during their careers could be behind their deteriorating health.
In December, the Scottish FA welcomed the announcement from the International Football Association Board that it had approved trials of additional permanent concussion substitutes.
John MacLean, Scottish FA chief medical consultant, said: “In December, we confirmed participation in concussion substitute trials in the Scottish Cup.
“The introduction of a permanent concussion substitute would build on Scotland’s world-leading approach on the subject of head trauma in sport.”