Heading is considered to be a skillful part of the game which comes naturally to most football players. But over the years, more and more people are questioning the health effects of constantly heading the ball. In fact, in 2002 a British coroner ruled that former England World Cup player Jeff Astle died at the age of 59 from a degenerative brain disease that was caused by constantly heading heavy, wet, leather footballs. The coroner stated there was considerable evidence of trauma to the brain similar to that a boxer suffers.

Still, medical studies using the latest testing equipment haven’t clearly shown that heading a ball is dangerous to your health. There aren’t any major differences found between the health of footballers and other athletes, but some tests have shown differences between footballers and non athletes.

Football is generally considered a safe sport with a relatively low major-injury rate, especially to the head. But head injuries still occur and are sometimes fatal. Most head injuries are caused by heading the ball, contact with another player’s head or body, striking the ground, colliding with goalposts, and sometimes being kicked in the head. It’s estimated that half of all men playing football will receive at least one concussion every 10 years.

While heading the ball rarely results in concussion, many soccer players have reportedly complained of headaches, neck pain, and dizziness from heading. However, this could also be the result of poor heading technique. Research on animals has shown that moderate, but consistent blows to the head at brief intervals, causes more brain damage than harder blows that occur further apart. It may not sound too serious, but if you receive repeated head injuries over a short period of time, it can lead to death.

A football weighs about a pound, and can travel up to about 75 miles per hour. If a player is struck by a ball that was kicked from close range it can create quite an impact. If you average the number of times a player heads a ball during a season of games and practices, it’ll be in the hundreds. This is why it’s important to head the ball properly with your forehead. The neck muscles should be used to restrict motion and your lower body muscles should keep the torso in line with your head and neck. Proper heading technique still doesn’t guarantee you won’t suffer headaches and other unpleasant symptoms.

While testing continues, there’s no conclusive evidence that links brain injury with heading a ball, but the overall findings suggest more tests should be done. In the mean time, all players, coaches, officials, and parents should be aware that heading could potentially lead to danger and take the proper precautions. This means teaching players the proper heading technique and enforcing all the rules. You should always be 10 yards away from the ball during corners and free kicks to reduce the impact.

You may also want to experiment with wearing protective soccer headgear, especially in practice sessions. That would be using your head.