There has been positive and negative uproar over the past couple of days regarding the new initiatives recommended by US Soccer. If you somehow missed it, they are as follows:
The first three are excellent, welcome changes, while the fourth has the medical backing to be a good decision, but questions still remain. Some are outraged over what they (wrongly) lament as the country going soft. Others are exuberant over a positive solution to a serious problem. They have gone so far to credit this move with enhancing our technical development and style of play. Let's look at this claim, and then delve into the questions that are raised by this suggestion of a complete ban. I am not a scientist, nor am I well-versed enough in the science to pass a different judgement than the one handed down by the medical committee of US Soccer. By all accounts, repetitive contact to the head with anything is probably not good. Allowing for a free substitution made for a head injury/concussion is a very welcome change and a forward thinking move. But what does the ban really do? Is it a ban at all? Bear in mind that these initiatives are only enforced in the USSDA and national team setups. Otherwise, US Soccer has said that they're guidelines, but not mandatory as of yet. A spin-off argument has been made that banning heading will help develop a "proper" style of play. It's optimistically naive. Go to the park and watch a U7 game of what amounts to be kickball and tell me how often players head the ball. They don't. In fact, most players at younger ages are absolutely frightened of the ball hitting their head. This doesn't stop them from booting the ball. Why does this ban mean that players won't play long ball, route one soccer? The country is already held hostage at the youth levels by teams that successfully play kick and run soccer, and heading isn't the reason. The reason is because the fast player plays up top, the "big kicker" plays at the back, and everyone else gets to "enjoy" the show. The ban doesn't address the education aspect of a first touch, the idea of controlling a ball rather than kicking it away. It doesn't address that educating coaches and players that passing on the ground is a critical stage in developing a players technical ability that is as important as developing moves and confidence to want the ball to beat defenders. Coaches gaming the system, however, is out of our control. Good initiatives can be taken out of context and distorted for other purposes, but it bears reminding that this ban doesn't automatically transform a playing style. This initiative from US Soccer may address concussions and head injuries but that is it. There are teams out there who are trying to play the right way, possessing the ball, and there are teams out there who are playing the developmentally wrong way. That was before the initiative and it will remain after, because people always find a way to get around rules, especially when they're only suggested rules. This article started as a way to address the idea that this initiative will act as a panacea for the "win at all costs" youth coaches that think possession is a useless buzz-word. It has turned into one just asking questions that don't have easy answers. The ban raises questions. I have questions, and I haven't been able to find the answers in a suitable format. Today's article is more about helping find the best way to maximize player safety and development, and that involves all of you! Does this prohibition merit comparisons to abstinence only sex education? We are a culture that bans, prohibits, and puts in zero-tolerance policies whether it be for things at the national level or within our own local schools. It almost seems as an easier way than incorporating a middle ground of proper education IN ORDER to limit, if not eliminate, the use of heading amongst our younger age groups. States who practice abstinence only sex education have higher numbers of STD's and pregnancies than those who ensure sex-education EDUCATES while also providing the resources necessary for the safety of the person if they engage in these actions on their own time. At the youngest ages, heading is not a developmentally appropriate skill to hone, but is completely ignoring it the answer? Does this zero-tolerance, zero-training policy (at the youngest ages) really help educate players especially when they're on their own, in an unstructured play environment? Can our prohibition on heading become an education on heading and the dangers? Which is more effective? Perhaps only time will tell. Should younger players not be taught the basic technique of heading, if only using a beach ball or balloon, silly as that may sound, just to understand the best way to protect themselves if situations arise when they're playing with friends away from coach, mom, or dad's eyes? You can agree with it or disagree with it, but the initiatives raise questions. My asking these questions doesn't mean I am against the initiatives. Asking questions doesn't make you old-fashioned, or anti-player safety. Asking questions ensures that players safety remains the priority, because assuming that an initiative solves every problem is just as silly as thinking that banning heading will ruin the game of soccer. What are your thoughts? I think the idea at its foundation has well-intentions but the questions I have, I don't have any answers for. Is this a black and white issue? Is there an appropriate middle ground that maximizes player safety? Or is a zero-tolerance policy the only way to ensure player safety? - Paul Cammarata
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51 Comments
Jessica
11/11/2015 07:45:27 am
My dad practiced technique of heading with me growing up with a soft ball...Therefore, I learned how to attack the ball, head it properly, and not be afraid of it in the air... I grew up to be one of the best in the air on my college team and would head a ball A LOT throughout a normal college game...never once did I get a concussion. The technique was not ignored and I was able to learn using a soft ball. I think those two things were important in my development as a female soccer player. Most females are afraid to head the ball, don't brace their neck, and close their eyes...leading to concussions.
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Mike
11/11/2015 07:58:17 am
Jessica, you are 100 percent correct. Most concussions in the game come from contact to the head with other body parts or the ground, not heading the ball. Eliminating heading the ball at young ages is actually dangerous because we are not teaching technique. Proper technique, like your dad taught you is what will bring success and hopefully limit injuries. Different teaching methods would have been better for the overall problem, not ignoring a key component of the game.
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Bobby
11/11/2015 11:22:10 am
I filled in for my son's U10 coach for warmups recently and I decided, towards the end, to practice proper heading technique. My son likes to head the ball and quite often does a good job. Ironically, he headed a long ball this game, I think improperly, (he's a kid) and became dissoriented. He had to be subbed out. On the bench he was given some ibuprofen by my wife and ice. She left the bench after awhile and then I didn't see him anymore on the bench. I walked over to bench and he was passed out in the player bags. He was ok but scared the coach when he realized he was sleeping behind bench. Next week he was taken down from behind, spun him around and he hit back of head. Again he was disoriented and didn't make it back into game. Player only got yellow and no talking too. My son was in center of field and no one between him and goalie. Should have been red. Kid and parents acted like he did nothing wrong. This week a teamate had to subbed out for involuntary(unavoidable) header causing disorientation. I am in favor of new rule. Young heads may not be ready for headers or be able to head properly across all skill levels. I have tried to emphasize to my U14 player over the years that I'd rather see him trap with chest or foot than head off of goalie kicks. To me, he can maintain possession better this way. Sometimes heading is the only way gain possession but if we can teach kids to trap long balls better at young ages instead of heading they will be better players. Just my two cents. I hate over regulation but this new rule does not go there. Is this a slippery slope? I hope not.
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Must agree, the ban is severe. Not sure how the first 3 summary bullet points' Paul makes merit an outlawing of heading. It's well intentioned to obviously protect the children but this extreme solution does not equate to the problem of tackling concussions in the sport. Classic case of cause not equaling affect. Feel like heading has been unfairly blamed here.
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Mike
11/11/2015 01:24:10 pm
Anyone who questions why these initiatives might be a good idea need only read Bobby's comment above.
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2 of my 3 daughters have had to.quit the game due to concussions. Not one from heading the ball. The game had become unnecessarily physical. Want to improve skill and technique? Make the game 100% non contact. Kids will have to learn proper defensive technique, offensive players will take more risks and develop confidence and skill, injuries will be all but eliminated, and more kids will have fun and stay in the game.
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Eli
11/27/2015 05:00:24 am
In my area at least, these initiatives will do nothing. Heading is not all that common below U13 in my state. Yes some but nothing like what happens in HS with players heading very hard and high balls and regularly doing attacking headers. Also I've never seen a player come out due to a header---it's always head-to-head/elbow/knee/ground that takes them out, foul from behind leading to head-to-ground, kicking the GK in head (or GK giving an elbow to head of attacker while leaping), or GK head-to-post.
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11/27/2015 04:59:04 pm
Every coach provide the training to player and depend on player how precede the tips of different sports just like football while With extra curriculum activities children are able to break the monotony of just having to seat in class throughout the term and not do anything extra. Students are best in different extra curriculum activities and should therefore be given the chance to be involved in all and thereafter be able to decide which one to concentrate with. Every student should at least be involved in one and give the best in it.
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1/13/2016 07:51:59 pm
Let's look at this claim, and then delve into the questions that are raised by this suggestion of a complete ban.
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1/14/2016 06:52:45 am
The process was not ignored and I was able to understand using a smooth soccer ball. I think those two things were essential in my growth as women football gamer.
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1/14/2016 09:30:32 am
Let's look at this claim, and then delve into the questions that are raised by this suggestion of a complete ban.
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1/15/2016 06:07:38 pm
They have gone so far to credit this move with enhancing our technical development and style of play.
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1/15/2016 11:55:54 pm
The past couple of days regarding the new initiatives recommended by US Soccer.
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1/16/2016 06:13:07 pm
Allowing for a free substitution made for a head injury/concussion is a very welcome change and a forward thinking move.
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1/17/2016 11:12:42 pm
They have gone so far to credit this move with enhancing our technical development and style of play. Let's look at this claim, and then delve into the questions that are raised by this suggestion of a complete ban.
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By all accounts, repetitive contact to the head with anything is probably not good. Allowing for a free substitution made for a head injury/concussion is a very welcome change and a forward thinking move.
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1/25/2016 09:59:25 pm
While the fourth has the medical backing to be a good decision, but questions still remain.
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1/27/2016 05:05:21 pm
Allowing for a free substitution made for a head injury/concussion is a very welcome change and a forward thinking move.
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1/30/2016 05:17:41 am
By all accounts, repetitive contact to the head with anything is probably not good.
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Produce info for referees and coaches. Require automatic yellows for 'head-dangerous fouls' at the youth level.
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