Madness! Footballers banned from heading the ball!
In Como, officials have decided that children's health takes precedence over long-standing football traditions.
Details: Como has unveiled new rules for its academy players aimed at reducing the number of headers and minimizing the impact on young footballers’ brains. The initiative was developed with the involvement of former defender Raphaël Varane, who sits on the club's educational board.
For players under the age of ten, heading is now completely banned, both in training and competitive matches. In the under-11 squads, the same rule applies, though in the final part of the season, coaches will be allowed to gradually introduce heading technique using a light rubber ball.
In the under-12 category, heading drills will be limited to no more than once a month—capped at five repetitions per session. For under-13 players, one such training session per week is permitted, but headers in actual matches remain strictly prohibited.
According to Varane, football must take the long-term effects of head impacts much more seriously and, above all, protect children whose brains are still developing. The club will only introduce heading techniques at older ages, always under close supervision from coaches.
This decision comes in the wake of studies on the health of former professional footballers. Scientists have found that ex-defenders are about five times more likely to develop neurodegenerative diseases than the general population. Meanwhile, former goalkeepers did not show a comparable increase in risk.
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Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
