Short Term Effects of Football Headers on Reaction Time and Symptomology in Males and Females

Abstract

Introduction

Football heading is a form of repetitive head impact linked to cognitive decline. Although the English Football-Association have implemented heading restrictions, evidence guiding sex-specific protocols remains limited. This study explored the acute effects of a standardized heading drill on reaction time (RT) and concussion symptomology and whether sex moderates these outcomes.

Methods

51 participants (25 females; mean age 22.8 ± 4.1 years), comprising recreational and university-level footballers, were non-randomly assigned to a heading group performing a 10-header drill, or a non-heading control group completing a regulated rest period. Immediately before and after the interventions, both groups completed tasks assessing simple reaction time, sustained attention, inhibition, and spatial timing anticipation and self-reported concussion symptoms via the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool, sixth edition (SCAT-6).

Results

SCAT scores increased significantly post-intervention only in the heading group (p = 0.002, dz = 0.59), with higher post-heading scores compared to the control group (p = 0.009, d = 0.66). No significant main effect of sex (p = 0.08) nor any interactions involving sex were found for RT and symptomology (ps ≥ 0.22). No significant changes in RT for any cognitive test were observed for any condition (ps ≥ 0.14).

Conclusion

These findings suggest that a 10-header-drill has significant effects on symptomology, but no measurable effect on RT, and that sex did not influence either outcome. This supports the need to monitor sub-concussive symptoms post-heading. Future research should assess both immediate and longer-term effects of stronger, game-representative headers, across a wider range of cognitive domains.