Change to the number of headers allowed in training

[@owlstalk]

Obviously there are a gazillion reports into this and research done that basically overwhelmingly shows that heading the ball causes brain damage, dementia and early death.

[WhiteOwl91]

12 minutes ago, @owlstalk said:

 

errrr....

I know this might not go down well BUT

Can I just point out that despite the ranting of people saying 'this is ridiculous' or 'nanny state' the absolute facts are that the footballers who have been heading the ball for your entertainment have been dying early from brain injury

So yeah - keep saying how ridiculous it is

I 100% support players and their families and friends not suffering due to the footballer in question getting serious brain damage, just because some old gimmers wanted them to be heading a football over and over and over for years for their entertainment

And I 100% absolutely GUARANTEE that none of you - NONE of you - would be up for having brain damage so please... stop volunteering others to have it

Thank you 

Yours truly,

Every sensible person on the planet

I think it’s something that does need to be agreed internationally. Not just one country or a few taking part for example. 
 

I agree with some that the ball has changed dramatically since those days…

 

However as a consequence the ball is hit somewhat harder nowadays too! The pace on some strikes are frightening which players put their head in the way of. Interesting to see how that changes or if that impacts the findings more recently 

[@owlstalk]

Just now, WhiteOwl91 said:

I think it’s something that does need to be agreed internationally. Not just one country or a few taking part for example. 
 

I agree with some that the ball has changed dramatically since those days…

 

However as a consequence the ball is hit somewhat harder nowadays too! The pace on some strikes are frightening which players put their head in the way of. Interesting to see how that changes or if that impacts the findings more recently 

The ball changes have been shown to be totally insignificant for the reasons you have stated re speed/mass

[Plonk]

How are you supposed to practice corners and freekicks if you can only head the ball ten times a week?

[@owlstalk]

Just now, Plonk said:

How are you supposed to practice corners and freekicks if you can only head the ball ten times a week?

We have put robots on Mars mate - I'm sure we can figure it out

[Gob_Bluth]

1 minute ago, Plonk said:

So would you Boxing, MMA or any sort of hard contact sport.

 

I'm an MMA fighter, we rarely if ever hard spar in the gym anymore, most gyms are moving away from the type of bite down on your mouthpiece and just batter each other types of sparring. There are just better ways to prepare for fights

 

 

[moyaowl]

The film Concussion with Will Smith in tells the story of the doctor who looks in to the cases of NFL players and the link to concussion - it is very interesting to watch but at the same time brutal as it highlights the connection between head impact injuries and the medical effects it has on players. As has been said, it needs to be looked at as quite clearly it is relevant and is causing death/dementia etc. in ex players, maybe even players still in the game.

[No Uniform]

https://www.homecare.co.uk/news/article.cfm/id/1638973/rugby-star-diagnosed-with-early-onset-dementia-joins-landmark-legal-case#:~:text=England Rugby World Cup star,at the age of 42.

[i used to be sc_owl]

Suggesting that we either continue as we are or do away with heading is a false dilemma.  There are ways to mitigate the damage caused by heading.  For example, better design of the match ball or even head protection for the players.  

 

People getting angry over this is just a bit bizarre.

[OxonOwl]

It needs to be looked at but I have not seen, though I have not looked for, the evidence that there is a connection. They just seem to parade a few high profile players that have dementia, and were footballers.

 

There are hundreds and hundreds of professional footballers and thousands more amateurs. 

 

What are the risks? Do we know?

 

Obviously it makes sense that banging you head repeatedly may lead to damage of the brain but do we know what the chances are.

 

 

[Plonk]

6 minutes ago, Gob_Bluth said:

 

I'm an MMA fighter, we rarely if ever hard spar in the gym anymore, most gyms are moving away from the type of bite down on your mouthpiece and just batter each other types of sparring. There are just better ways to prepare for fights

 

 

Thanks for that. Obviously I’m not aware of how things like that have changed. But surely the risk is still there when you get in the ring?

[@owlstalk]

1 minute ago, OxonOwl said:

It needs to be looked at but I have not seen, though I have not looked for, the evidence that there is a connection. 

 

What are the risks? Do we know? 

Where have you been the last 5 years

A simple google search will tell you just how profile this has been and how much research has been done

[Ellis Rimmer]

If they do this players won’t learn to header will and we will get aerially dominated by teams internationally, and won’t be able to cope

[@owlstalk]

[markg]

1 minute ago, OxonOwl said:

It needs to be looked at but I have not seen, though I have not looked for, the evidence that there is a connection. They just seem to parade a few high profile players that have dementia, and were footballers.

 

There are hundreds and hundreds of professional footballers and thousands more amateurs. 

 

What are the risks? Do we know?

 

Obviously it makes sense that banging you head repeatedly may lead to damage of the brain but do we know what the chances are.

 

 

I think that they found a significantly higher proportion of suffers than in the average community 

[@owlstalk]

Just now, Ellis Rimmer said:

If they do this players won’t learn to header will and we will get aerially dominated by teams internationally, and won’t be able to cope

Yes mate - that's exactly what is going to happen - bang on

[WhiteOwl91]

There’s no doubt the blows and strikes NFL players get are on another planet to football. So not an exact comparison. 
 

It’s the equivalent of being hit by a car in a lot of cases and the amount of concussions they get are ridiculous. 

[@owlstalk]

Why is it in the news now?

The reason for the coverage in recent weeks has been the arrival of a new campaign backed by families of Jack Charlton and Nobby Stiles, both of whom won the World Cup for England and both of whom died this year after suffering dementia in later life. Another member of the 1966 team, Jack Charlton’s brother Bobby, was diagnosed with the disease this month. Stiles’ family have said football needs to “address the scandal” of dementia in the sport.

[@owlstalk]

It is true that footballs of previous eras were significantly heavier than today’s, but other changes in the sport – not least the pace at which the balls tend to travel – have offset the effects. “It’s the speed more than the weight that has the significance,” said Dr Willie Stewart, a consultant neuropathologist who leads a study in the field.

 

“The modern ball stays light, but if you hit it and it travels faster and lands at a higher speed, it may be causing more problems. People suggest that because the ball is lighter, or that players are training at higher intensity, that the risk has gone away. There’s nothing to support that at all. Quite the opposite. Maybe it’s got worse.”

[OxonOwl]

3 minutes ago, @owlstalk said:

Where have you been the last 5 years

A simple google search will tell you just how profile this has been and how much research has been done

 

 

I think I have a head injury