FA Plans to Limit Heading in Training for U18 Players

Heading the ball in training is set to become a limited practice for players in England under the age of 18, with the Football Association planning to restrict the action.

The FA is reacting to concerns raised by studies into the effects of repeatedly heading the ball from a young age and its connection to chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

The Daily Telegraph's Jeremy Wilson noted how "detailed proposals have been drawn up which cover age groups all the way up to under-18s and Telegraph Sport understands that coaches and teachers will be told that children from under-sevens until under-12s should no longer be practising heading in training."

While these plans will be implemented in stages, Wilson also outlined how "limitations on both the frequency of heading and the weight of footballs will be recommended right up until the age of 18."

The changes won't be seen during official games, but introducing restrictions in training will have historical significance. It means "the FA and their Scottish counterparts are set to become the first European nations to take action to proactively restrict children from heading the ball."

New rules governing heading the ball have been welcomed by Headway, a charity dealing with brain injury. The organisation's chief executive, Pete McCabe, said: "We are encouraged to hear the Football Association is set to restrict the amount of heading allowed by young players."

McCabe has saluted the "common sense" of this approach, and his sentiments are shared by former England striker Alan Shearer:

While some will still have reservations about the scope of this new initiative, the FA is at least showing a willingness to respond to the worrying implications borne from several studies. Research undertaken at the University of Glasgow in October rated former players as three-and-a-half times more likely to die with dementia or a related neurological problem.

Meanwhile, Wilson also detailed how a New York study focused on 352 amateurs found that sustained heading led to deteriorated memory function.

The issue has become prevalent in the domestic game since Jeff Astle's death in 2014. Astle, who played as a striker for West Bromwich Albion, was found to have suffered CTE.

There was soon a response, with the FA introducing new parameters for dealing with concussions suffered during a match:

The FA and the Professional Footballers Association have been working to further research. Both governing bodies funded a study called "Football's Influence on Lifelong health and Dementia risk" (FIELD), per Press Association Media (h/t Sky Sports).

A complete ban on heading in training for youth players is the ultimate goal. It's already in place in the U.S., according to the same source.

CTE has become a serious issue for both current and former NFL players and has also been found in those who participated in boxing. Football is attempting to react to what was an unfamiliar problem for too long.

The desire to make the game safer, without altering the way it's played nor the intensity fans expect, is a difficult balancing act. However, the changes needed have a better chance of taking hold if they begin at the youth levels.