Football headers more likely to injure female players, says new research

New research shows that women may be more vulnerable to injury caused by headers and head impacts in football, with an increased risk of concussion when compared to male players. 

Biomechanics studies at the University of Chichester have looked at the risk of trauma for female footballers heading the ball, finding that they have a higher rate of injury and vulnerability to subconcussive impacts.  

PhD student Levi Bentley, who is leading the research, used customised mouthguards to measure head acceleration in a laboratory environment, using real-world ball speeds players would typically experience in a match, to first quantify head impact magnitudes, before looking into potential interventions to reduce head impact magnitudes and make heading in female football safer.  

He said: “Women’s physical differences, such as neck girth and strength, mean they are more likely to experience higher head accelerations when heading, leaving them more vulnerable to brain injury than males. Different safety protocols may be needed to ensure they are kept injury-free. Currently women are using the same footballs as men – that means they are the same size, weight and pressure – and it might be that using lighter balls in practice, when a lot of headers happen, could reduce the risk of injury.” 

The research, which has been presented at the Royal Society Summer Science Week 2024, the International Society of Biomechanics in Sports 2022 Conference and the International Society of Biomechanics in Sports 2024 Conference, is due to be published in peer-reviewed journals later in 2025. The research work continues as Levi collects more data towards his PhD in injury prevention during heading in female soccer. 

For Levi’s previous related research, go to: https://commons.nmu.edu/isbs/vol42/iss1/234/  

For more information about Sports courses at the University of Chichester, please go to: www.chi.ac.uk/sport.