Banning heading balls in football

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-51129653

Scottish FA 'could ban children heading balls within weeks'

By Chris McLaughlinBBC Scotland sports news correspondent

A ban on children heading the ball in Scotland could be in place in a matter of weeks due to fears over the links between football and dementia.

BBC Scotland has learned the Scottish FA wants to lead the way on the issue after a report found former players are more at risk of dying from the disease.

The governing body is expected to announce a ban on under-12s heading the ball in training later this month.

A similar ban has been in place in the US since 2015.

But the SFA would become the first European country to impose a restriction on head contact.

Discussions have been ongoing since the release of a study in October which found the first links between former players and degenerative brain disease.