The premier league and English football league have set up a plan to limit the number of headers a player can take in a game. They will start this process by limiting it in training before the rule is applied to big competitions.
According to a memo sent to Futballnews, the English football body will reduce the number of high-force headers in training to 10 per week for the 2021 season. The number of headers per player per training or per game will be tough to track, but this is a move to protect players from sustaining head injuries.
The Premier League and the English football league decided to make this move after discovering that most headers take place during practice. Also, the record shows that most of these headers are low forces.
This new rule will be in place to prevent deaths that may result from players that suffer dementia as a result of heading the ball too much. Recall that England footballer Nobby Stiles died last year and he was diagnosed with dementia before his death.
“This recommendation is provided to protect player welfare and will be reviewed regularly as further research is undertaken to understand more regarding the impact of heading in football,” the statement read.
“The guidance also recommends clubs develop player profiles that consider gender, age, playing position, the number of headers per match, and the nature of these headers.
“These profiles can be used to ensure that all training sessions reflect the type and quantity of headers that a player could expect to undertake within a match.”
Both the professional and the amateur football teams have agreed to this new rule says the Football Association and this includes the premier league, English football league, professional footballer association, and league manager association.
Does this means that Corner kicks and high freekicks will be canceled in football? since most headers happen during these type of plays. Let us know what you think about this post below.
