The English Football Association and the Professional Footballers' Association are conducting a 10 year study into how heading a ball can affect the brain.
It comes as a coroner's court ruled that professional footballer Jeff Astle, who died earlier this year at age 59, was likely to have had trauma to the front of his brain as a result of regularly heading the ball—something for which he was famous. He played for West Bromwich Albion until his retirement in 1977 and was part of England's 1970 World Cup team.
South Staffordshire's coroner, Andrew Heigh, recorded a verdict of "death by industrial disease" on the former striker. Dr Heigh said: "The trauma caused to the front of his brain is likely to have had a considerable effect on the cause of death."
Mr Astle had been in poor health since 1997 because of an eating disorder and was eventually unable to recognise his children.
Derek Robson, the consultant neuropathologist at the Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, told the inquest that Mr Astle had a brain condition that was likely to have been exacerbated by heading leather footballs.
The footballs used nowadays are not as heavy, weighing 390-450 g. Although largely still made of leather, they are coated so that they do not retain as much water as in the past, said a Football Association spokesperson. Younger players aged under 12 must play with a smaller ball.
The study into how heading a ball can affect the brain began last year, with 30 players aged 18-19 who are likely to go on to have long careers in professional football and will include players from defence, midfield, and striker positions.