Head trauma, brain damage and football: in Scotland stop the day before and the day after for professionals

By Cristiano Antonino Last updated Nov 29, 2022

Football and brain damage: .a 2019 study found that former professional footballers are three and a half times more likely to suffer from dementia and other serious neurological diseases

Football and brain damage: professional footballers in Scotland will be banned from headbutting the day before and the day after matches

Scottish clubs have also been advised to limit headshots in training to one session per week.

Numerous scientific studies have now shown links between repeated hits to the ball and brain damage

The Scottish Football Association (SFA) guidelines come after a study revealed in 2019 that former professional footballers are three-and-a-half times more likely to suffer from dementia and other serious neurological diseases. Introduced today, they will come into effect immediately.

In 2020, the SFA led the way in banning headers for children under the age of 12, making Scotland the first European country to do so.

Last year, English football clubs limited players to 10 headshots per week in training.

“What we already know about the effects on the brain suggests that there is measurable memory impairment lasting 24 to 48 hours after a series of headshots and that related proteins can be detected in blood samples for a short period after the injuries,” said SFA doctor John MacLean.

“The goal is to reduce any potential cumulative effect by reducing the overall exposure during training.”