Football chiefs ban heading in training for young children

LONDON: Football chiefs in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland on Monday announced a ban on heading in training for children up to the end of primary school, to take place with immediate effect.

The three football associations issued a statement confirming changes to their heading guidance, which followed a study that showed former footballers were 3.5 times more likely to die from neurodegenerative disease.

The changes stated there would be no heading at all in the “foundation phase” — for primary school children — and a graduated approach to heading in training in under-12s to under-16s football.