Scottish football to ban heading the ball before and after matches

In a major development in Scottish football, new guidelines have been published following research from Glasgow University. 

The new guidelines mean professional footballers in Scotland will be banned from heading the football in training the day before and the day after a game. 

Clubs have also been told to limit exercises that involve repetitive heading to one session per week. 

The University’s research showed former footballers were three-and-a-half times more likely to die from brain disease. 

Experts believe there could be a link to repetitive heading of the ball. 

The Scottish Football Association (SFA) already has guidelines in place to limit heading the ball in youth football, with a ban on headers in training for the under-12 age group. 

Scotland was also the first country in the world to have a single set of concussion guidelines for all sports, with the “If in doubt, sit them out” campaign.

The guidelines were put into action after consultation with 50 clubs across the professional men’s and women’s games in Scotland and an SFA survey of clubs to gauge heading trends. 

Clubs have been told to monitor heading activity in training with the aim of reducing the overall burden of contact.