Overview
- On Friday, July 24, 2026, Como 1907 published age-specific rules that ban heading for under-11s in training and matches, allow under-12s only occasional practice with a light ball, and restrict aerial jumps for under-13s in matches.
- Raphaël Varane, a club ambassador and member of Como’s Board of Education, framed the move as a safety-first decision to protect developing brains and to teach heading later in a controlled way.
- Osian Roberts, the club’s Head of Development, said coaches will focus on more ball contact, observation and decision-making at young ages instead of repetitive heading drills.
- Como will give families an FAQ and coaches clear guidelines and will monitor how the rules are applied through the coming season with input from technicians and parents.
- The policy follows recent youth-football guidance to limit unnecessary head impacts and could prompt other academies to adopt similar staged approaches to teaching heading as players mature.