Soccer Association of Homer (SAH)
SAH Policy Regarding Heading the Soccer Ball
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Introduction
Heading the soccer ball is an integral part of playing the game of soccer at the adult and professional levels. In fact, the head is very often used to control the ball in the same way other parts of the body are used. However, there is growing medical evidence suggesting that long term, repetitive heading of the ball causes detrimental, and permanent changes in the brains of soccer players.Most of the limited information about the affects of heading on the players’ brains comes from studies of adult players. However, it is unknownwhat role, if any,heading the ball as children plays/played in producing the observed changes. Neck and spinal injuries are also of concern when children incorrectly head the ball.
The Soccer Association of Homer (SAH) will always have the best interests of children participating in their programs at heart, and are mindful that playing the game of soccer should be fun, and as free as possible from the exposure to injury. Since heading the soccer ball has the potential to cause injury to the younger children in the SAH soccer programs, the SAH organization has established this policy on heading the soccer ball during SAH organized soccer practice sessions and soccer games.
Who Heads, Who Doesn’t
The younger the child, the greater the potential for injury from heading the soccer ball. But, as children become more accomplished soccer players and more physically mature, the lesser the potential for injury. In addition, for these more accomplished soccer players to compete with other soccer teams beyond SAH organized programs, they could be placed in a situation where ‘heading’ is considered a requirement to play the game.
So, to provide a balance between preventing injury and teaching real-life heading soccer skills, SAH will NOT allow children under the age of 14 years to head the soccer ball in it’s soccer programs. This includes warm-up preparation, skills training, scrimmages, and real-life soccer games with competing (non-SAH) teams. The management of players refusing to follow this policy will follow a three-step process defined below in Penalties for Non-Compliance With This Policy. SAH reserves the right to remove any child from the SAH soccer program who continually refuses to follow this policy, with no refund of program fees to the child’s parents.
Teaching How to Head the Soccer Ball
For those children 14 years of age and older, SAH will follow American Youth Soccer Organization guidelines for teaching heading, which includes using light weight balls and minimizing repetitive heading practice. Players will be taught the correct body position/mechanics for heading the ball, reasons for heading the ball, when to/not to head the ball, and when to use the head as an effective part of the body to control the soccer ball.
Penalties for non-compliance with this policy
The first unapproved header will result in a warning issued to the player. The second infraction will result in the player being removed from play for 5 minutes.The 3rd infraction will result in the player being removed from the game. This course of progressive penalties will start over with each new game.
Continued research surveillance
SAH is committed to making policy based on data from research. Given that data related to heading and brain injury are few and in the early phases of collection, we will continue to diligently watch the research, and modify this policy based on new data that may/may notcontraindicate the current policy. Parents and players are welcome to make SAH Board members aware of any and all information related to the potential injury risks related to repeatedly heading the soccer ball, so that all information can be available for consideration.
Policy effective date: July 16, 2014
SAH Soccer Heading PolicyPage 1