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Title: |
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Biomechanics of Heading a Soccer Ball: Implications for Player Safety |
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Authors: |
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Babbs, Charles F. |
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Journal: |
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TheScientificWorldJOURNAL |
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Year: |
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2001 |
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Volume: |
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1 |
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Page Range: |
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281-322 |
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Article Type: |
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Research Article |
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Handling Editor: |
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Antonio Scarpa |
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Domains: |
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Neuroscience
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Higher Level Brain Function
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Biophysics
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Methods & Protocols
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DOI: |
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10.1100/tsw.2001.56 |
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Synopsis: |
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Heading soccer balls can be safe for adult players but dangerous for kids. A thorough study of the physics and biomechanics involved leads to some surprising insights. A player’s body mass and technique are key. The size 4 youth soccer ball does not adequately correct for kids’ lesser weight. Low balls are much more dangerous than high balls. Air resistance is a major factor in heading safety. |
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Keywords: |
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acceleration, brain, concussion, football, head, heading, injury, player, safety, soccer, trauma |
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Abstract |
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To better understand the risk and safety of heading a soccer ball, the author created a set of simple mathematical models based upon Newton’s second law of motion to describe the physics of heading. These models describe the player, the ball, the flight of the ball before impact, the motion of the head and ball during impact, and the effects of all of these upon the intensity and the duration of acceleration of the head. The calculated head accelerations were compared to those during presumably safe daily activities of jumping, dancing, and head nodding and also were related to established criteria for serious head injury from the motor vehicle crash literature. The results suggest heading is usually safe but occasionally dangerous, depending on key characteristics of both the player and the ball. Safety is greatly improved when players head the ball with greater effective body mass, which is determined by a player’s size, strength, and technique. Smaller youth players, because of their lesser body mass, are more at risk of potentially dangerous headers than are adults, even when using current youth size balls. Lower ball inflation pressure reduces risk of dangerous head accelerations. Lower pressure balls also have greater “touch” and “playability”, measured in terms of contact time and contact area between foot and ball during a kick. Focus on teaching proper technique, the re-design of age-appropriate balls for young players with reduced weight and inflation pressure, and avoidance of head contact with fast, rising balls kicked at close range can substantially reduce risk of subtle brain injury in players who head soccer balls. |
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Bradley Pedersen
Posted 2nd November 2006 |
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I would really like it to read this article for my project in school |
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diaa mohamed abd elwahab elbatal
Posted 1st August 2008 |
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I'm very happy for you site when he became a friend and now I want to become friends Will want some information that make me Coach To benefit from the experience Want to know everything about education and training of football every nook and cranny How to develop their skills and how included in the exercises and how they work and training modules and I want to know the importance of physical fitness Prefer to see models of video and images so that I have a background of sophisticated I'm very, but my requests Ashman told you that is still in graduate of the College of Education and Sports to be much of the information and thank you for hosting LES |
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José Luis Meza de la Rosa
Posted 31st January 2008 |
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I am searching information about biomechanics of soccer, especially in heading ball of forwards |
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