On my Head

Oh for the days of heading a wet heavy ball, with a patch or two missing, or just about to come off a ball.
Like trying to head a bag of concrete, with Chinese stars attached to it.
Concussion and lacerations, lovely stuff.

I am a coach for my sons team he is 6 and we stopped it as of the start of this season. As they progress from 4 a side to 5s 7s 9s 11s heading will be introduced (from the age of 12)

Allowing their brain to develop a bit before they start whacking it.

I know the balls are lighter these days but as Call Sign said it helps promote playing the game on the deck, as it should be

comment by Wieghorst (U12621)
posted 1 minute ago
Allowing their brain to develop a bit before they start whacking it.

I know the balls are lighter these days but as Call Sign said it helps promote playing the game on the deck, as it should be
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American Footballers brains are damaged all the smashing they do with the gear on. Something needs done

Ffs, they'll be banning the Glasgow kiss before you know it...

too little to late for Timmy i fear

It as call sign says

The kids at that age don't really have the range to hit it long , they tend to play on the deck
Honestly think I could count on one hand the amount of times my boys headed the ball in 2 years ...they don't typically head it
I think the reaction is from another era , mould masters on ash parks ..and always 11 aside . Heading it from a keepers kick out can't have been nice

Now almost all u12s the keeper can't kick from hand so you don't need to contest a keepers kick out

Times have changed no need to put a ban in place

U12s is 4,5,7 and 9 aside as you go up the years

There is an argument that if they don't learn to head it properly it will be worse for them when they start? Not sure I buy that one?

Lad was like a salmon at 7,8,9... and if the taker was able to get it in the box it was an almost certain goal. Loved heading the ball.

A bigger an issue than distance hit is the pressure in the ball. Training footballs are dirt cheap affairs and often leak leading clubs to over-inflate to get longer out them before re-filling.

There should be guidelines to reduce the pressure for initial heading practice or at least toward the low end of regulation maybe <10psi? Alternates are volleyballs (softer and lower inflation 4.26 to 4.61 psi), recreation footballs that have the foam layer covering, use of a heading trellis so the practice is with a stationary ball.

Jump?