A landmark legal settlement in the United States means that all children under the age of 11 will no longer be able to head the ball playing football.
The settlement is the result of a class action lawsuit against six youth soccer organisations and will also see limits placed on headers for children between the ages of 11 and 13.
Per new concussion lawsuit settlement, US Soccer players in under 11 programs will not be able to head balls.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) November 10, 2015
New concussion lawsuit settlement will also limit headers in the US Soccer Under 12 & Under 13 programs to 15-20 headers per player per week
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) November 10, 2015
US Soccer will also implement new standards of care for youth players suspected of sustaining a head injury, along with the presence of independent health professionals at all matches.
The recommendations follow a call from former US women’s international Cindy Parlow Cone to elimante headers up to the age of 14.
Speaking at last week’s Web Summit in Dublin, Parlow Cone, whose career was ended by concussions, said such a move would cut the number of youth concussions in soccer by 30 per cent.
Cindy Parlow Cone, an ex-US women’s star, suggests banning headers in all U14 soccer – would ‘eliminate 30% of youth concussions’ #websummit
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) November 3, 2015
