LONDON (AP) – Children up to the age of 12 will be banned from heading a soccer ball in practice sessions in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland as authorities look to address the potential long-term impact on health of head injuries.
The governing bodies of the three regions announced the new heading guidelines on Monday, months after a Scottish study found former professional players there were less likely to die of common causes such as heart disease and cancer compared with the general population but more likely to die with dementia.
The guidelines say there will be a ''graduated approach'' to heading in practice for kids from 12-15, while the heading will be restricted to one practice session per week for kids 16 and 17.