Each player should perform a maximum of ten “head balls with higher strength” per training week. “This recommendation serves to protect the player’s welfare and is regularly checked,” said the Football Association yesterday.
The new guideline should apply to the first four men’s leagues and the women’s championship, but amateurs and especially youngsters should also avoid excessive stress from headballs.
There is currently a debate in England about the long-term consequences of football after Sir Bobby Charlton’s wife made it public last year that her husband had dementia – as the fifth world champion in 1966. A study by the University of Glasgow in 2019 showed that that ex-professionals have an increased risk of dying from dementia or Parkinson’s.
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
