US Soccer Bans Young Players From Using Their Heads

If your child plays soccer you need to know about the new safety guidelines that the U.S. Soccer Federation announced this week.

The new rules prohibit players under the age of 10 from using headers, or hitting the ball with their heads. Players between the ages of 11 to 13 can be taught how to make the moves during practice, but will not be allowed to use them during a game.

Time.com reports that the change in safety rules comes after a class-action lawsuit was filed in August 2014 on behalf of a group of parents who say that several soccer organizations were negligent in dealing with their children's head injuries. Statistics used in the lawsuit claim that up to 50,000 high school soccer players received concussions in 2010.

Other guideline changes will deal with substitutions for players who are suspected of having a concussion. Locally, the Town of Poughkeepsie Soccer Club requires coaches for every age level to have concussion awareness training & certification, as do most other youth soccer clubs in the Hudson Valley.

What do you think about the new rules? Do you think banning headers from youth soccer will keep players safer?