Heading in Soccer Players and Neurologic Outcomes

Soccer is the most popular sport worldwide, with participation across all levels of play. Heading the ball raises concerns about subconcussive impacts and their cumulative effects, which remain uncertain. This review aims to synthesize current literature on heading across different levels of play. A narrative review was conducted using the PubMed database to search for articles related to soccer heading and its neurologic outcomes. Articles were categorized by level of play: youth, adolescent, college, adult amateur, and professional. Twenty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria. There was lack of consensus on the neurologic effects of heading across any age group, and only 3 studies followed players through a season. The use of various tools among these studies prevented meaningful comparisons. Overall, the need for longitudinal studies across different levels of play with standardized evaluation tools is crucial for assessing the neurologic outcomes of soccer players.