Joint Action Plan Launched To Understand, Promote & Protect Brain Health
The FA, Premier League, EFL and Professional Footballers Association (PFA) have today announced a new joint action plan on understanding, promoting and protecting brain health.
The plan focuses on research, education, awareness and support for players. It will bring together all workstreams and resources to more effectively manage head injuries, and to further understand the links between the game and neurodegenerative diseases.
The organisations have also announced a consultation with key stakeholders which will help shape future work in this important area. Interested parties will be invited to provide their views regarding ongoing research programmes, how to improve heading awareness, knowledge and education of concussion across the game, as well as any additional areas of support that could be given to current and ex-professional footballers.
A comprehensive list of all research supported by football to date has also been confirmed, demonstrating the cross-football commitment in this area.
Download All-football Joint Action Plan on brain health (PDF, 2.9MB)
Speaking of the initiative, Mark Bullingham, Chief Executive at the FA, said: “Understanding the risk factors of neuro-degenerative disease in football is an incredibly complex area of medical science which requires exploration of many different lines of research.
“Football is working together to try to build a more complete picture by supporting a variety of projects. Until we have a greater level of understanding, we are also reducing the potential risk factors.
“We have already done this for heading earlier this year by introducing the most comprehensive guidelines anywhere in the world, covering the youth and adult game at all levels. This new joint action plan will further help to build our understanding across English football of this complex area.”
Richard Masters, Premier League Chief Executive, added: “The safety of players is a priority for the Premier League and football’s joint action plan outlines our extensive work to better understand and manage the brain health of current and former players. It is important that football has come together to work collaboratively on this issue.
“With the help of experts, and alongside other sports with similar challenges, we want to ensure we have the right approach in place to protect the welfare of players.”
Trevor Birch, Chief Executive Officer of the EFL, said: “English football has a collective responsibility to understand and act upon the risk factors of neurodegenerative disease and therefore the EFL is pleased to support the game’s new joint action plan on brain health.
“By working together in this collaborative approach, we will acquire the information to be better equipped to improve safeguarding measures for those who play football at all levels of competition.
“The EFL and its clubs are committed to making improvements in this vital area and have signed up to the game’s new Heading Guidance and are also taking part in the trial of concussion substitutes throughout the current season in all our competitions, which we hope will provide the insight to develop the processes needed to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place going forward.”
