The effect of ball pressure and maximal isometric neck strength on head acceleration during purposeful heading in adult football players during heading drills

Objective

This randomised repeated measures study explored the effect of ball pressure and maximal isometric neck strength on head acceleration during purposeful heading in adult football players during heading drills within a laboratory environment.

Methods

Recreational football players (n ​= ​17) attended one familiarisation session to determine baseline maximal isometric neck strength, followed by two experimental sessions where they randomly trialled two conditions (>72-h apart). The first condition included 20 rotational headers with a match-ball at low-pressure (58.6 ​kPa; 8.5 psi) and the second included 20 rotational headers with a match-ball at high-pressure (103.4 ​kPa; 15.0 psi) whilst instrumented with an inertial measurement unit.

Results

A statistically significant difference between conditions for both peak linear head acceleration (F ​= ​15.2; p= ​ < ​ 0.001) and peak angular head velocity (F ​= ​5.71; p ​= ​0.018) during purposeful heading. The low-pressure ball condition demonstrated a 12 ​% reduction in peak linear acceleration and 6 ​% reduction in peak angular velocity when compared with high-pressure ball condition. Additionally, neck strength significantly predicted head acceleration during purposeful heading (p ​ = ​ <0.05).

Conclusion

These findings suggest that lower ball pressure and higher neck strength can lower head acceleration during heading in adult football players during heading drills within a laboratory environment.