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Soccer's CTE Protocol: Heading Limits Revealed
3 Feb
Summary
- New guidelines limit professional soccer players to 10 headers weekly.
- Children under 12 are advised not to head the ball at all.
- The protocol aims to reduce subconcussive blows and prevent CTE.
The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) has announced a groundbreaking protocol to prevent Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) in soccer players. This comprehensive plan, effective from February 3, 2026, introduces weekly heading limits for professionals, restricting them to a maximum of 10 headers per week, including during practice.
Crucially, the PFA's guidelines state that children under 12 should not head the ball at all. The protocol's core principle is to reduce head impacts throughout a player's career, addressing both direct concussions and the cumulative damage from less forceful blows.
Dr. Adam White, Director of Brain Health at the PFA, emphasized that CTE is preventable by focusing on "less heading, less force, less often, and later in life." This approach is seen as vital for protecting current and future generations of athletes from the disease, which has been linked to former players across various contact sports.
This initiative marks a significant step beyond existing concussion return-to-play protocols. It is the first plan to proactively combat CTE by targeting the frequent subconcussive blows common in soccer practice. The protocol also includes annual education for players and support for former players experiencing potential CTE symptoms.
