A new study has identified a previously unreported mechanism of energy transfer to the brain from football headers – a finding that could prove significant in understanding the mechanics of headers and inform future research into long-term player health.
Football is widely regarded as the most popular sport globally, is played by over 260 million players and is followed by an estimated 3.5 billion fans. Heading is a fundamental skill within the game, but repetitive headers through a player’s career have been linked to an increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases in later life.
The study, led by Loughborough University Sports Technology Institute and philanthropically funded by The Football Association, saw researchers study ball-head impacts between a range of footballs from throughout the last century and an advanced surrogate head model, at match speeds. Using a specialist pressure sensor positioned within the brain model they observed, for the first time, a distinctive pressure wave that transfers energy into the frontal region.