The English Football Federation (FA) intends to reduce the risk of degenerative brain diseases caused by systematic head-butting, so it will temporarily ban this technical gesture in under-12 matches to make it definitive later.
“If the test is successful, the goal is to permanently eliminate headlines in all games under 12 and under in the 2023/24 season,” the FA said in a statement.
Several studies have linked heading a ball with a greater propensity for degenerative brain diseases: in the case of professional football players, the risks are three and a half times higher than in the average citizen.
In recent years, England’s 1996 World Champions Nobby Stiles and Jack Charlton – Bobby Charlton’s demented brother – have both succumbed to degenerative illnesses allegedly linked to repeated “blows” to the head during their football careers.
The IFAB, the body that defines the rules of football, has already approved this FA test, which will be put into practice in its training centers, clubs and various football schools in the country, as well as in various youth competitions. .
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
