Pre-season training begins without new heading limits for Premier League players despite dementia concerns later in life though new guidelines are expected to be brought in
- Premier League players are returning to training with no heading restrictions
- Authorities promised guidelines would be brought in for training sessions
- The Premier League expects limits to be implemented by next month
Premier League players are returning to pre-season training with no restrictions on heading footballs implemented despite concerns over neurological problems later in life.
Football’s authorities promised guidelines for heading in training at professional and adult levels. The Premier League say they still expect limits to be implemented ahead of the start of the 2021-22 season next month.
It follows a mouthguard study using Liverpool and Manchester City’s youth and women’s sides last season which looked at the forces involved in heading and the impact on the brain.
No heading limits have yet been brought in place in training for the Premier League
Players have returned to training over the past week ahead of the new season next month
That study is now complete and the data — described as ‘extremely exciting’ and ‘very interesting’ by someone closely involved — has been passed to football’s key decision-makers.
The scheme was initially signed off by the Premier League, FA, EFL, Women’s Super League, Professional Footballers’ Association and League Managers’ Association.
Heading is already banned among all primary school children, moving on to a ‘graduated approach’. Under 14s to Under 16s age groups are allowed one session per week and a maximum of 10 headers.
Premier League says they expect limits on heading in training to be brought in by next month
There is no limit for Under 18s but coaches are advised to reduce heading drills ‘as far as possible’.
Experts have told Sportsmail they consider 20 headers per session a suitable maximum for professional players, with a minimum of 48 hours between sessions.
Sportsmail has been campaigning for football to tackle its dementia problem since November 2020 and we first reported on the revolutionary Protecht mouthguard in March 2019.
The technology, through a chip inserted in the gumshield, allows analysts to study trauma during routine drills and training games.