Scots football chiefs set to ban under-12s from heading balls
The Scottish Football Association is poised to ban children under 12 from heading the ball.
The move, which would make Scotland the first country in Europe to make the changes, follows a report linking dementia to football.
Experts at the University of Glasgow found former professional players are three-anda-half times more likely to die of degenerative brain disease.
A ban on children heading the ball has been in place in the United States since 2014.
Children aged ten and under in the US are not allowed to head the ball in games or practice, while there are limits placed in training sessions for 11 to 13-year-olds.
With the findings coming out of data on former professional footballers in Scotland, the nation’s governing body is looking to lead the way in
Europe by safeguarding children.
SFA president Rod Petrie and vice-president Mike Mulraney will submit a number of proactive measures to the board for consideration, including a ban on heading for under-12s.
Other potential measures include tighter guidelines on heading practice, ensuring age-appropriate ball sizes are being used and guidance to grassroots coaches.
Any steps would be taken with respect to the findings and with the medical experts closely involved, while also putting an emphasis on developing technique.
An SFA spokesperson said: “The new presidential team are determined to be proactive on such a serious issue affecting the national game and are prepared to offer a practical test case in Europe through a range of potential measures being implemented in Scotland.
“While the study says the findings can’t automatically be applied to the grassroots game, they are absolutely clear that practical improvements can be implemented until research into the grassroots game is undertaken.
“This is not just about young people heading the ball in matches, but taking steps to reduce repetitive heading practice in training.”
The dementia report, released a week ago, assessed the medical records of 7,676 men who played professional football in Scotland and were born between 1900 and 1976.
Their records were matched against more than 23,000 individuals from the general population.
The research found the risk ranged from a five-fold increase in Alzheimer’s disease to a two-fold increase in Parkinson’s disease in former professional footballers compared to the general public.