Italian football club Como on Sunday introduced new rules regarding heading the ball by young players. The rules are aimed at preserving brain health.
Como wrote on the official website that the "new path" is valid for the entire Academy, while it is designed to reduce inevitable headbutts.
"The changes reflect a simple idea. Protect young players first, then teach them the skill in a controlled manner when they are ready. At younger ages, the focus will be on more ball time, more decision-making, more effective playing time and a clear path that builds confidence and technique step by step," Como's statement reads.
According to the announcement, "the approach follows the latest guidelines for youth football, designed to reduce unnecessary exposure to heading in younger age groups."
The Italian club has announced that it will continue to carefully manage young players' exposure to heading across the academy. The coaching staff will be committed to avoiding unnecessary heading exposure in the pre- and post-match period.
Raphael Varane, who is a member of Como's board of education, has elaborated on the idea of the club.
"I have spoken several times before about the need to take heading in football seriously and the absolute need to protect our children. For young players the best approach is clear rules, good coaching, understanding and a culture where well-being and safety are a priority. This approach reduces unnecessary contact at younger ages, when the brain is still growing. And then teaches the skill properly, step by step and with proper control," said the former famous footballer.
Osian Roberts, who is Como's development director, said that the priority is ball handling.
"Development is about the environment you create for the player. At these ages we want more time with the ball, more scanning, more problem-solving and calmer decision-making. Limiting heading at younger ages supports this. We introduce heading later, in a more structured way, with clear boundaries, so that players learn the technique carefully and confidently," Roberts said.
The Como Academy rules do not allow heading at all for players up to 10 years old for training and matches. For 11-year-olds, the general rule is not to head the ball. For 12-year-olds, the heading technique is allowed in one training session per month. But the ball must be lighter and a maximum of five kicks can be made.
For 13-year-olds, heading remains carefully limited. And heading practice is allowed once a week, with a maximum of five headers.