Player safety and well being in any sport should take precedence over all other considerations. It’s common sense. However, the latest decision by the U.S Soccer Federation to eliminate heading for children 10 and under has stirred the usually dormant waters of football regulations.
The restrictions came to life as the result of a settlement from a lawsuit that was filed against the leading youth soccer groups last year. A group of players and parents filed a class-action suit citing that player concussions were not being taken seriously by the authorities ruling the game.
The court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, requiring the USSF to initiate standard protocols to follow when a player is deemed to have suffered a concussion.