Smarter Ball Design Could Shield Players From Brain Injury, Researchers Say

Could a Redesigned Football Help Protect Players' Brains?

Scientists are calling for a fundamental rethink of how footballs are engineered, following groundbreaking research that found heading a ball generates a pressure wave powerful enough to force energy directly into the brain — a force comparable to levels recorded in certain military gunshots and explosive blasts.

The study, conducted by Loughborough University and backed by the Football Association, revealed that the amount of energy transferred to the brain during a header can vary by as much as 55 times depending on the type of ball being used. The findings have sparked fresh hope that modifying ball design could meaningfully reduce the neurological risks associated with the sport.

What the Research Found

Researchers tested a wide range of footballs used across the past hundred years, measuring their impact against an advanced artificial head model at realistic match speeds. A specialist pressure sensor embedded within the model detected a previously unidentified pressure wave that channels energy into the frontal region of the brain at the very moment of contact.

Lead researcher Dr. Ieuan Phillips explained that the signals being recorded align closely with findings from repetitive low-level military blast studies — not at levels that cause immediate symptoms, but at magnitudes that have raised concern in related research contexts.

"We're confident that the magnitudes we've measured are relevant to this context," Dr. Phillips told BBC Sport.

The study also found that the energy transferred depends on three key variables: the ball's construction and design, the speed at which it is travelling, and whether the ball is wet or dry.

Old Leather Balls Are Not Solely to Blame

One of the study's more surprising conclusions was that vintage leather footballs — long assumed to be the primary culprit behind brain injuries in former players — did not consistently produce higher energy transfers than modern alternatives.

"There are examples of balls that transfer high or low energy through all eras of play," said Professor Andy Harland, a sports technology expert at Loughborough University. "Our evidence suggests that high energy pressure wave transfer was not limited to leather balls, so if this energy is associated with neurodegenerative disease, it is not a problem that has gone away with modern balls."

Growing Pressure on Football to Act

This research emerges at a time when football faces increasing scrutiny over its handling of brain injury risks. In January, a senior coroner ruled that repeatedly heading footballs was "likely" to have contributed to the brain disease that played a role in the death of former Leeds United and Manchester United defender Gordon McQueen. McQueen, who was diagnosed with both vascular dementia and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) — a condition caused by repeated head trauma — passed away in 2023 at the age of 70.

Former England striker Jeff Astle, who died after years of neurological decline, remains the first footballer formally recognised as having suffered a heading-related death.

A major 2019 study known as the 'Field' report, funded jointly by the FA and the Professional Footballers' Association, found that professional footballers are 3.5 times more likely than the general population to develop neurodegenerative disorders.

Steps Already Being Taken

In response to mounting evidence, the FA has introduced a phased ban on heading in under-11 football and issued guidance to clubs on limiting high-impact headers during training sessions — particularly those involving fast-moving set pieces such as free-kicks and corners. The Scottish FA has taken even bolder action, prohibiting heading the day before and after professional matches.

A Path Toward Safer Equipment

Dr. Phillips believes the discovery opens a concrete avenue for meaningful change. "This energy transfer is separate from the broader impact of the ball striking the head," he explained. "It occurs right at the start of the collision and represents a very discreet pulse of energy passing into the brain — and crucially, it gives us the opportunity to make changes to the ball."

He added that while the exact biological mechanism linking headers to neurodegenerative disease may take many more years to fully understand, these findings allow researchers to focus on something that has never been measured before.

FA Chief Medical Officer Dr. Charlotte Cowie welcomed the study, noting that its results have already been shared with FIFA and UEFA. "This new independent research provides innovative and previously undiscovered insight," she said. "We continue to welcome a global approach to support further research in this important area."

With the science now pointing toward the ball itself as a variable that can be controlled, the possibility of engineering a safer football represents one of the most promising developments in the long-running effort to protect players at every level of the game.