Scientists at Loughborough University have discovered that heading a football creates a previously unidentified pressure wave energy transfer directly into the brain, opening the door for ball designs that could reduce the impact of heading on players' long-term health.

The research reveals this energy transfer occurs at the very beginning of a header—a discrete pulse passing into the brain—regardless of whether the ball is modern or leather. Professor Andy Harland noted there's no evidence this energy transfer has changed over time, meaning if it contributes to neurodegenerative disease, it's a problem that has existed throughout football's history.

This discovery arrives as football faces intense scrutiny over brain injuries. In January, a senior coroner ruled that heading "likely" contributed to the vascular dementia that caused former Leeds United and Manchester United defender Gordon McQueen's death in 2023, aged 70. The FA became the first national association in 2022 to remove deliberate heading from grassroots matches for Under-12s and below, extending the ban to all youth games in 2024.

The findings could inform future ball design and testing specifications. Lead researcher Dr Ieuan Phillips said this represents the first time this specific energy transfer has been measured, offering a concrete factor to investigate rather than relying solely on statistical correlations about players' careers.