A soccer match is ane of the few times when y'all desire a flying brawl to striking you in the head. But could heading the ball crusade a encephalon injury in the long run?

Movie it: Your team gets a corner in the 90th minute, y'all outleap the defender, and power the ball into the net using your head. The crowd roars, and you get your gustation of glory!

But there's a possibility that nodding the brawl goalward is giving you not only three points, only the chance of getting brain injuries — especially later on repeat knocks.

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Design by Dana Davenport; Photographs from left to correct: Chakrapong Worathat/EyeEm, Andrzej Wojcicki/Science Photograph Library/Getty Images

Soccer lovers and doctors increased the discussion about heading the ball in recent years — specially when the British media revealed how many players from the glory days of the English leagues lived with dementia.

True, most of these players used heavy leather balls, a far weep from the lighter, more noggin-friendly equipment of today. Simply the possibility of brain injuries are yet enough to make whatever thespian hesitate earlier leaping into the air like a goal-hungry salmon.

One study showed that players may head the ball between 6 and 16 times per match — that'south 3,500 to 8,500 times they risk getting concussions over the course of a career! No trophy is worth brain injury. So, what gives?

Heads upwardly: Exercise may more often than not help protect y'all confronting brain injury unless you're actively getting hit in the head.

Heading and a concussion

When information technology comes to soccer-related head injuries, y'all're most likely to pick upwards a concussion.

In fact, a inquiry review showed that 22 percent of all soccer injuries are concussions. Anything from heading the ball awkwardly to knocking yourself out on the goalpost can cause 'em. (Information technology's OK, we've all been there.)

A concussion is that weird, groggy feeling you lot go when something hits you in the head with some force. Symptoms include:

  • a headache
  • dizziness
  • confusion
  • feeling sick and maybe airsickness

That might audio similar an average Sunday morning time. But it's actually a type of traumatic brain injury. And as soccer is the only sport where yous employ your head to stop an object at high speed, you may go a concussion in this way.

But one report showed that a concussion is most likely due to an unexpected ball (yup, those occasions when you got a solid whack in the face while minding your own business) rather than a deliberate header during play.

Heading and CTE

Accept y'all heard of CTE? It stands for chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Repeated bonks to the head (including from soccer) may pb to CTE, only there'southward a lot that researchers all the same don't fully understand nearly this type of brain injury.

It's important to know that people living with CTE may have more challenging life experiences compared to those who don't have CTE. Symptoms may vary but tin can include:

  • feeling a lack of cocky-command
  • behaving erratically (including experiencing episodes of aggression, low, and suicidal thoughts)
  • experiencing difficulties with retention more than often than usual
  • having a short attention span more often than usual
  • trouble with planning tasks finer

Because docs are withal learning about CTE, more than inquiry is necessary to notice links between the condition and heading a soccer brawl.

A study involving ex-soccer-pros in Scotland found that they had a higher-than-average take a chance of developing neurodegenerative conditions. Merely until more data is bachelor, no-1 tin can really say for sure.

Even if you lot're destined to exist the next David Beckham or Megan Rapinoe, your encephalon box tin get a bashing when playing soccer. (Non fifty-fifty including trying to work out why the referee fabricated that utterly ludicrous decision.)

Merely how can y'all play the sport you love, while still keeping your grey affair as salubrious equally y'all can? Let us count the ways!

1. Learning the correct way to caput the ball

As with most things in life, there's a right and wrong fashion to exercise it. And if y'all want to caput a soccer ball the right way, ask your motorcoach and team medic — there's no-ane better placed to give that advice.

They can teach you lot everything you need to know nigh correct technique and body positioning, especially if y'all mention that y'all're worried nearly brain injuries. They can likewise run you through training drills to gradually level you lot up to total-pelt, title-stealing headers that won't hurt your brain.

Start off right, and you lot're lessening your chances of brain injuries directly abroad.

Most concussions happen when the ball hits you in the side of your caput. You want information technology to land squarely in the center of your brow — the thickest part of your skull.

2. Keep eye contact with the ball

Information technology'due south of import to keep center contact with the brawl as it comes toward yous. Recall, information technology's the unexpectedness that causes a concussion nearly often — so stare at the ball and wait that sh*t.

It's OK, you don't demand to have a staring competition with information technology! (That unblinking ball is gonna win.)

The expression has never been and then authentic: go on your eye on the ball.

3. Wearable protective headgear… but remember y'all're not invincible

Just like battle (which also involves repeated blows to the head), you tin can get headgear for soccer training. It's common to run into players wearing it in games, especially in the wake of pros similar goalkeeper Petr Cech, who donned headwear later on pretty traumatic injuries.

But are they effective? There hasn't been enough conclusive research yet TBH. 1 study with loftier schoolhouse students found that the headgear did little to change the number of concussions.

Information technology's also worth remembering that no headgear protects you completely from concussions. And so, don't become flight into challenges thinking that y'all're immune from harm. You'll probably get an unwanted owie for your troubles.

iv. Play by the rules, and don't accept airheaded risks

Information technology sounds then elementary, and information technology kinda is — follow the rules of the game, and you're much less likely to pick up a concussion. Or any sort of injury, for that matter.

Soccer's rules aim to create the best game possible while keeping everyone safe. Think y'all tin head that ball before your opponent if y'all're just a bit more ambitious? Perhaps you can, only if you know that it's going to be a reckless, badly-timed challenge, leave information technology.

Non picking up a concussion might be more important. You're too more than probable to stay on the field and assistance your teammates, rather than becoming a substitute or a red/yellow cardholder.

Posture is everything, as anyone who'southward e'er watched a historical costume drama will tell you. But that goes double for soccer.

Heading a soccer ball correctly isn't but about your head. Correct postures with your neck and torso also come into play. Getting them right volition as well help you avoid concussions and other negative effects of heading a ball (plus boost your power and accurateness — win-win).

Piece of work with your coach on getting your head into the perfect position.

Communication with teammates is besides important. If you lot and another player are both going for the brawl, and you tin sense that incoming collision, phone call out to brand them aware of yous.

It'south true that heading a soccer brawl does appear to take potential for encephalon injuries down the line (specially if you're doing it a lot).

You're also likely to pick upwards bad head injuries from clashes with other players, heavy falls on the ground, or that pesky goalpost getting in the way of your glorious diving header.

But you lot tin reduce your hazard. Speak with your coach about your concerns, and learn the proper techniques for heading, both in the way you strike the ball with your head, and the posture of the rest of your body. Your brain volition thank you for it.

Yous can also buy headgear which tin can help to cushion the blows, leaving you to focus on lifting that bays in front of the adoring masses. Meet yous in the World Cup Final!