"Heading" Bans in Soccer May Not Be Enough to Stop Concussions

A new study suggests that outlawing "heading the ball" during soccer games may reduce the rate of concussions, but eliminating player-on-player contact would help more. The study's lead author, Dawn Comstock of Colorado School of Public Health at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, says the findings challenge recent calls to ban "heading," which is when players hit soccer balls with their heads. Comstock and her colleagues report in JAMA Pediatrics July 13 that players are more likely to get concussions during heading than other soccer plays, but it's not the cause of the injuries. Player-on-player contact was the most common cause of concussions overall, they found. Comstock says, while some young players do get concussions when they head the ball, that number is very small compared to those who are injured by another player while heading the ball.