Ex-Goalie Briana Scurry: Headgear Will Make Soccer Safer

U.S. Soccer has banned heading for kids 10-years-old and younger and is also limiting the amount of heading in practice games for ages 11 to 13. Retired U.S. Soccer goalkeeper Briana Scurry, who suffered a career-ending concussion, explained to FOX Business Network’s Stuart Varney, how the new ruling will prevent injuries.

“From some of the research I’ve seen, a ball hitting your head can hit you at between g-forces of 7 to 70. As you know, I was a goalkeeper so I used to punt the ball very high in the air and I can tell you my defenders and my attackers didn’t want to get underneath that -- so there is a lot of force that goes into a person’s head when they head the ball -- which is really difficult,” she said.

Scurry said heading results in head-banging when two players collide.

“[Head-banging] often occurs in a heading situation when a ball is in the air, so I think the ruling from U.S. soccer that u-10’s don’t head, I think that will help prevent that situation from happening with that age group,” she said.

Scurry believes the ruling not only came in wake of a lawsuit involving a head injury but also medical evidence supporting their decision.

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“I believe that this ruling from U.S. soccer is partially because of the lawsuit that was against them -- in terms of head injury, but I also have to say… U.S. soccer is a huge organization that doesn’t make changes lightly,” she said.

Scurry added that she’s an advocate for initiatives U.S. soccer has put forward and is working with a company called UNEQUAL to create head protection.

“I think it would be wonderful if… [U.S. Soccer] commissioned a study to test head gear if that was something that they though was useful,” she said.