New Rules Ban Headers in Youth Soccer

U.S. Soccer has announced new rules which ban headers for players 10 and under. Players 11 to 13 will face restrictions on headers under the new rules, which are aimed to reduce concussions and will impact many in West Michigan.

The rules come in response to a lawsuit related to concussions in youth soccer. The lawsuit named the United States Soccer Federation, United States Youth Soccer Association, American Youth Soccer Organization and others as defendants.

U.S. Soccer listed the changes in a statement:

• Improve concussion awareness and education among youth coaches, referees, parents and players.
• Implement more uniform concussion management and return-to-play protocols for youth players suspected of having suffered a concussion.
• Modify the substitution rules to insure such rules do not serve as an impediment to the evaluation of players who may have suffered a concussion during games.
• Eliminate heading for children 10 and under and limit heading in practice for children between the ages of 11 and 13.

The New York Times reports that the rules will be mandatory for national teams/academies and MLS youth club teams, but will only be recommendations for other youth soccer groups which are not under U.S. Soccer control.

In the statement, Steve Berman, lead counsel for the plaintiffs said: "We filed this litigation in effort to focus the attention of U.S. Soccer and its youth member organizations on the issue of concussions in youth soccer. With the development of the youth concussion initiative by U.S. Soccer and its youth members, we feel we have accomplished our primary goal and, therefore, do not see any need to continue the pursuit of the litigation."

A recent study at JAMA Pediatrics examines 627 concussion suffered by youth soccer players from 2005 to 2014. The study shows that heading the ball was responsible for 30 percent of boys soccer concussions and 25 percent for girls. Contact with another player was the leading reason players received a concussion while heading the ball, accounting for 78 percent of boys concussions and 61 percent for girls.

Football has the highest rate of concussions in youth sports. Girls soccer ranks second.