Frankfurt/Main (dpa) – A general ban on headers in football for medical reasons is currently not an issue for the German Football Association.
“I certainly wouldn’t start advising against headers in adult football. I also don’t see anything like a ban on headers in the foreseeable future,” said Tim Meyer, team doctor for the German national team and head of the DFB’s medical committee a press round.
Claus Reinsberger, neurologist and member of the DFB’s medical commission, referred to various studies that exist on the danger of headers: “In most study designs, there are both positive and negative studies. We know that headers are a risk factor for Brain changes. But we also know that headers can definitely be associated with positive changes in the brain.”
Recently, a connection between various recurring head injuries in sports and neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s has been suspected. A Scottish study in 2019 found an increased risk of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease in footballers. England, Scotland and Northern Ireland have had a ban on headers in training for children under the age of 11 since the beginning of 2020. Professional soccer players there are recommended a small number of headers in training.