What about those who say removing heading would ruin football, it would change the beautiful game too much?
“That has to be balanced against the destroyed lives,” Judith says, clearly reciting a well-worn response.
“Football is a game created by humans and played by humans and the rules have been modified before,” she adds, likening the situation to the stopping of smoking or introduction of seatbelts.
“We tend to assume that things we have taken for granted will never change, but they can be,” Judith says.
She says a change to heading would be an “evolution” in football and, as evidenced by the two no-heading games, it would promote new tactics and skills.
“You’d be hard pushed to say those matches weren’t as exciting as any that allowed heading,” Judith says, citing a newspaper reporter who said the ban meant a more skilful game with the ball on the ground.
“We want to talk about how we can seek to maintain the game but safeguard the players,” she says.
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