Concussions in soccer

Before we begin, it should be noted that minor concussions, is an area of injury that we know very little about, especially in terms of long term damage. Players, coaches, and parents should lean toward caution for even minor concussions. Currently more tests are being done to attempt to evaluate the long term effects of minor concussions. One of the problems is that, it is believed that minor concussions are often overlooked, because doctors and trainers do not have a individual player baseline and therefore miss the minor ones.

Now, the infamous question: does heading a soccer ball cause concussions and brain damage? This has nearly been ruled out completely. Heading a soccer ball does not cause concussions. A concussion comes not from the impact of an object upon the skull itself, but from the whiplash of your neck and head (your brain) against the casing of your skull. It should be noted that most of the research has been done on the professional level.

Worries persist about heading a soccer ball. Some ways you can help mitigate the potential for damage from heading the soccer ball:
** Correct technique - player need to strike the ball, don't let the ball strike the player
** Limit repeats - Keep header training to minimum number of repetitions in a row
** Play with age appropriate ball - 5 year olds should not be heading a size 5 ball.
** Consider no heading for players under 12.