Further to the discussion on this topic in the Random Football thread:
This is a very tricky issue which will probably have to be addressed at some point. No parent wants to think that their child is risking serious brain injury for the sake of a sport. It’s all very well saying, ‘The rain sodden footballs in my day were like iron’ or ‘It never did me any harm’, but it’s a pretty clear medical fact that repeated heading of a football is a risky business.
We’ve all grown up with heading being a major part of the game, and we’ve all enjoyed a lot of fantastic headed goals and clearances over the years. It’s very difficult to imagine the game without it.
How does it work at youth level? Is the head given the same status as the hands? What effect does it have on the style of play? What happens at corners?
It might even be good for the game as a spectacle if it stops the long ball hoofing style.