Heading the ball


All players who are registered on or participate with any U­11 or younger team are prohibited from deliberately striking a soccer ball with any portion of their head, (a.k.a. heading), during any game, practice, tryout, or other soccer related activity. If a U­11 or younger player engages in heading a soccer ball during games, practices, tryouts, or other soccer related activities, contrary to the above listed prohibition, the parent(s) / guardian(s) and the player accept the risk and/or peril of doing so.

If a player 10 years old or younger, (i.e. U­11 and younger) participates on an U­12 or older team, it shall be the responsibility of the player’s coaches and the player’s parents and / or guardians to ensure that the player does not head a soccer ball during any soccer related activity. However, if the parents and/or guardians of a player who is under the age of 10 years (i.e. U­11 and younger) and the player plays on a U­12 or older team and then allows that player to engage in heading during games, practices, tryouts, or other soccer related activities, the parent(s) / guardian(s) and the player accept the risk and/or peril of doing so.

As recommended and established by USSF and adopted by US Youth Soccer, all players who are U­12 or U­ 13 are prohibited from deliberately striking a soccer ball with any portion of their head, (a.k.a. heading), during any practice

session for more than an accumulated maximum total of 30 minutes during any 7 day period and for an accumulated maximum of 15 to 20 headers during any 7 day period. For players who participate on a are U­12 or U­13 team, there are no limits or restrictions on the number of headers that may take place during games.

There are no limits or restrictions on heading in practice or in games for players U­14 and older.

All coaches of players who participate on a U­12 or older team are to instruct, teach, and emphasize the importance of proper techniques for heading of soccer balls.

If an OSYSA sanctioned tournament has 64 or more U­11 and older teams, (excluding U­10 and younger teams), registered in the tournament, then the tournament must have one or more Health Care Professionals, (a.k.a. HCP), at each playing site where there are 4 or more soccer fields that are in use for the tournament. A HCP shall be defined as a person who is either a physician, (M.D. or D.O.), an athletic trainer whose work is supervised by a physician, a physician assistant or a nurse practitioner.

When a player who is rostered on a team playing in an U­11 or younger age group or division deliberately s trikes the ball with his / her head during any league or tournament game, Referees and Assistant Referees of that game must consider the act to be Dangerous Play and handle the matter accordingly as an infraction of the Laws of the Game.