Italian soccer club to limit heading in youth teams: 'We must protect kids'

An Italian soccer club called Como has announced new rules to protect young players from brain injuries caused by heading the ball. The club plays in Serie A, which is Italy's top soccer league. Como's new plan limits how often kids in its youth teams can head the ball during practice and games. Team leaders say the goal is to keep young players safe while still helping them learn the sport.

Como laid out specific rules for each age group in its youth program. Players under age 10 will not be allowed to head the ball at all — not in training and not in games. Instead of corners kicked into the air, teams will use throws that stay on the ground. For players who are 11 years old, coaches may start teaching heading near the end of the season, but only with a soft rubber ball.

Twelve-year-olds can practice heading once a month, also with a rubber ball, and no more than five headers per session. At age 13, heading is still kept to once a week with a five-header limit, and throw-ins must be aimed below head level. The club also set general rules for all age groups, requiring coaches to reduce repeated and unneeded heading and to avoid over-inflated balls.

Former soccer star Raphael Varane helped shape these new rules. Varane played as a defender for Manchester United, Real Madrid, and France's national team, and he now sits on Como's board of education. He said young players need clear rules and 'a culture where welfare and safety come first.' Varane has spoken openly about the damage he personally suffered from heading the ball throughout his career.

Como's head of development, Osian Roberts, said limiting heading gives kids a chance to focus on the technical parts of the game. He believes players will eventually learn to head the ball with 'care and confidence' when taught the right way. The club plans to review its guidelines throughout the season to make sure they are working.

In England, the Football Association announced in 2024 that it would phase out heading in matches for children under 12. That plan came after a two-year test by the International Football Association Board, which makes the rules of soccer. During the test, players who deliberately headed the ball were given a free kick as a penalty. England was the first country to adopt these changes fully.

In the United States, a rule passed in 2015 bans heading for players aged 10 and under, and also reduces heading in practice for players aged 11 to 13. These rules came after a group of parents and players filed a lawsuit in 2014, saying soccer organizations were not doing enough to handle head injuries. According to the lawsuit, nearly 50,000 high school soccer players suffered concussions in 2010 alone — more than in baseball, basketball, softball, and wrestling combined.

Scientists have found strong evidence that heading the ball can seriously harm the brain over time. A 2023 study from the University of Nottingham found that retired professional soccer players were three times more likely to develop dementia than people who never played the sport. A separate study from Loughborough University found that heading creates pressure waves in the front part of the brain that could explain why repeated headers lead to injury.

Several famous soccer players have suffered serious brain damage linked to heading. Nobby Stiles, who won the World Cup with England in 1966, headed the ball at least 136,000 times during his career and later developed dementia and a brain disease called CTE. CTE is an incurable condition that causes big changes in mood, behavior, and thinking. Five players from England's famous 1966 World Cup team were later diagnosed with dementia.

Other sports face similar concerns about repeated head impacts. In the UK, more than 1,100 former rugby players have sued governing bodies, claiming that blows to the head left them with serious brain conditions. In the United States, a CDC study found a 42 percent drop in head impacts in youth football programs that cut back on contact sessions. The NFL has also made changes, such as banning helmet-to-helmet hits and letting players wear a soft protective shell over their helmets.