1.) 14 Feb 2019
14 Feb 2019 08:52:32
Cheers Ed. Really interesting stuff about the effects of heading a solid ball at a young age. Never really thought about it but it does make sense. What's your take on it?

{Ed001's Note - should stop kids heading hard balls, there is no need for it. They should not be playing full sided games on full size pitches either. If you want them to improve the pitches need to be smaller and the ball should not be allowed to go above waist height. Plenty of time to learn to head when you are older.}

2.) 14 Feb 2019
14 Feb 2019 09:38:53
Completely agree Ed. I like the idea of not allowing the ball above waist height. That would put more focus on passing and technique at grassroots level and maybe we would eventually see the end of the allardyce style football?

{Ed001's Note - it certainly would go some way to getting rid of the dinosaurs.}

3.) 14 Feb 2019
14 Feb 2019 10:17:47
Ed01, the Valentine image, is it real?

{Ed001's Note - there are companies that do things like this in the UK yes.}

4.) 14 Feb 2019
14 Feb 2019 10:41:06
I love that suggestion Ed1 - I remember when I was playing youth footy it was essentially a case of "managers" throwing the biggest kid up top and telling everyone to hoof it to him. As someone who prefers to actually have a kickabout and not a 'hoofabout' it used to drive me mad.

Believe it or not - late last year, the local 5-a-side centre where we played in a league changed it to allow above head height because people kept complaining about the rule (SMH) . So 5-a-side games started turning into teams whacking it high and wide into the corners each time. Killed off any enjoyment of games.

I went on a bit of a rant there so probably lost sight of the point - I am all for anything that encourages children to actually 'play' while also negating any potential long-term injuries.

{Ed001's Note - Liverpool teams of old used to mostly play 6-a-side football on a small sided pitch. Kicking it long is easy, the hard part is keeping it in tight areas and threading passes through small gaps etc. That is what you need to practice if you are going to be a good player.}

5.) 14 Feb 2019
14 Feb 2019 13:19:15
Haizan, you should shop around though, I know you can get it cheaper than £995 😉.

6.) 14 Feb 2019
14 Feb 2019 14:05:05
Be careful Ed you will upset the Warnock's and Fat Sams of this world with such forward thinking. I haven't done much research with regards to the impact of heading a hard ball, but I agree entirely with the size of the pitch, and even size of the ball. Apparently in Belgium juniors play games with no score, no league table etc. The idea is that you learn how to play, before you learn how to win. People become obsessed with winning instead of teaching kids how to play properly. I also think you should play with your kids your own size not necessarily your own age.

7.) 14 Feb 2019
14 Feb 2019 15:04:51
In the U. S. at youth level up to age 12 (At least in NJ), they aren't allowed to head the ball. It's an indirect free kick for the other team if they do. Maybe the one thing the U. S. is doing that's better than the rest of the world.

8.) 15 Feb 2019
15 Feb 2019 03:49:32
I've played football for years and a few years ago a group of my Spanish mates invited me to join their futsol team. After just a few weeks I noticed such an improvement in my touch and close control. It also taught me my Spanish mates were a lot more skilful than myself!