Brain injury risk: Heading restricted for Scottish clubs
Glasgow, United Kingdom - Heading for professional footballers in Scotland is to be restricted to one training session a week under new guidelines aimed at reducing the risk of long-term brain injuries.
Players will be banned from heading the day before and after a match, but there remains no restriction on heading during games.
The guidelines put in place by the Scottish Football Association (SFA) come after Glasgow University research that showed former footballers were three-and-a-half times more likely to die from brain disease.
“The historic University of Glasgow study (FIELD), which found an increased risk of neurodegenerative disease in retired professional footballers, compared to a matched population control group, has been a catalyst for a radical rethink of football guidance,” said SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell.
Heading has already been banned in under-12s football in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The new guidelines have been introduced after consultation with Scotland’s 50 clubs across the professional men’s and women’s game.