Scientists have discovered that specially designed footballs could significantly reduce the impact of heading on players' brains, potentially lowering the risk of neurodegenerative diseases associated with the sport.
A groundbreaking study led by Loughborough University, supported by the Football Association, has revealed that heading footballs creates pressure wave energy transfers to the brain that researchers describe as "comparable to those documented in some military gunshots and blasts."
"We're confident that the magnitudes that we've measured are relevant to this context," said lead researcher Dr. Ieuan Phillips. "From literature on repetitive low-level military blast studies, we're confident that the signals that we're measuring are of a magnitude that perhaps would be concerning in some of those situations."
The research team used an advanced surrogate head model equipped with specialized pressure sensors to test various footballs at match speeds. They discovered that energy transfer varied dramatically—up to 55 times greater in some balls compared to others—depending on ball design, velocity, and whether the ball was dry or wet.
Surprisingly, the study found no clear historical trend in energy transfer, debunking the assumption that older leather balls necessarily posed greater risks than modern synthetic ones.
"There are examples of balls that transfer high or low energy through all eras of play," explained Professor Andy Harland, a sports technology expert at Loughborough. "Our evidence suggests that high energy pressure wave transfer was not limited to leather balls, so, if this energy is associated with neurodegenerative disease, it is not a problem that has gone away with modern balls."
This research emerges amid growing pressure on football authorities to address brain injury concerns, particularly following a senior coroner's recent determination that repeated heading likely contributed to the brain disease that claimed the life of former professional defender Gordon McQueen.
The findings suggest that ball manufacturers could implement design changes to minimize dangerous pressure waves, potentially transforming player safety without altering the fundamental nature of the game.