When the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association passed a rule requiring high school soccer players to wear mouth guards in 1999, Amherst-Pelham Regional girls coach Derek Shea remembers joking about what changes would come next.

"When mouth guards came up, we sat in the (coaches) meeting laughing, and someone said, 'helmets are next,'" Shea said. "I said that was ludicrous."

Ludicrous or not, soccer players on all levels from youth league to college could be required to wear helmets under legislation currently being considered in the Statehouse.

Professional soccer players, like the New England Revolution, would be exempt. No other state appears to have a soccer helmet law.

"It's ridiculous. It's not football," Hampshire Regional senior Kristen Culver said. "You're not trying to hit the other person, you're trying to put the ball in the net. (Head injuries) happen, but not enough to enforce helmets."

State Rep. Deborah Blumer, D-Framingham, sponsored the bill on behalf of a constituent, but conceded it likely won't pass.

Still, high school players and coaches in the region expressed surprise, shock and even anger at the idea of a helmet law.

"Helmets? Definitely not," said varsity soccer player Cassie Ashwell, a junior at Agawam High School. "If you learn to head the ball properly, there shouldn't be any problem."

"I've played soccer and coached for 30-plus years," Shea said. "I can count on one hand the number of times I've been involved in a game when someone's had a head injury.

"I remember taking a pretty hard knock when I was 12, and I got it cleaned up, and got my stitches, but it's part of the game."
Supporters of the bill say helmets are needed to prevent head injuries from collisions and from heading, a key element of the game where players use their heads to ricochet the soccer ball to another player or at the goal.

But area coaches and players doubted that helmets would actually make the game safer.

"Besides having coached for 27 years, my three children have all played," said Chris Zguro, longtime boys coach at Springfield's Central High School.

"Over the years, there have been some collisions, but I don't know exactly how a helmet would prevent that."

"If you hit somebody (while wearing a helmet), I would think there'd be more chance of a head injury," Belchertown junior Joanna Haqq said.

Players and coaches were also concerned about the effect helmets would have on field vision and playing balls in the air.

"It (would) kind of ruin your peripheral vision, and that's a huge part of the game," Haqq said. (NO SHIT)

"It's a little ridiculous," Ludlow senior Jared Falconer said. "If you have a helmet on, I don't know how you're going to do head balls." (I KNOW WTF SERIOUSLY)

"If a kid wanted to wear it, I certainly wouldn't stop them," Zguro said. "I'm not against keeping kids safe. I just don't understand how it would (help)."

Article from western mass.


DAMN THIS IS MY STATE. I KNOW MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS ARTICLE. KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED FOR ME. THIS WOULD RUIN THE GAME AND WOULD BE HORRIBLE.Another article from houston (Just to show how the news is spreading.

It's not going to pass so I don't think there is anything to worry about.

why do you say that? I mean I think the same think too but what makes you say that?

but if it does imagine the headlines in Europe!

When the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association passed a rule requiring high school soccer players to wear mouth guards in 1999, Amherst-Pelham Regional girls coach Derek Shea remembers joking about what changes would come next.
"When mouth guards came up, we sat in the (coaches) meeting laughing, and someone said, 'helmets are next,'" Shea said. "I said that was ludicrous."

Ludicrous or not, soccer players on all levels from youth league to college could be required to wear helmets under legislation currently being considered in the Statehouse.

Professional soccer players, like the New England Revolution, would be exempt. No other state appears to have a soccer helmet law.

"It's ridiculous. It's not football," Hampshire Regional senior Kristen Culver said. "You're not trying to hit the other person, you're trying to put the ball in the net. (Head injuries) happen, but not enough to enforce helmets."

State Rep. Deborah Blumer, D-Framingham, sponsored the bill on behalf of a constituent, but conceded it likely won't pass.

Still, high school players and coaches in the region expressed surprise, shock and even anger at the idea of a helmet law.

"Helmets? Definitely not," said varsity soccer player Cassie Ashwell, a junior at Agawam High School. "If you learn to head the ball properly, there shouldn't be any problem."

"I've played soccer and coached for 30-plus years," Shea said. "I can count on one hand the number of times I've been involved in a game when someone's had a head injury.

"I remember taking a pretty hard knock when I was 12, and I got it cleaned up, and got my stitches, but it's part of the game."
Supporters of the bill say helmets are needed to prevent head injuries from collisions and from heading, a key element of the game where players use their heads to ricochet the soccer ball to another player or at the goal.

But area coaches and players doubted that helmets would actually make the game safer.

"Besides having coached for 27 years, my three children have all played," said Chris Zguro, longtime boys coach at Springfield's Central High School.

"Over the years, there have been some collisions, but I don't know exactly how a helmet would prevent that."

"If you hit somebody (while wearing a helmet), I would think there'd be more chance of a head injury," Belchertown junior Joanna Haqq said.

Players and coaches were also concerned about the effect helmets would have on field vision and playing balls in the air.

"It (would) kind of ruin your peripheral vision, and that's a huge part of the game," Haqq said. (NO SHIT)

"It's a little ridiculous," Ludlow senior Jared Falconer said. "If you have a helmet on, I don't know how you're going to do head balls." (I KNOW WTF SERIOUSLY)

"If a kid wanted to wear it, I certainly wouldn't stop them," Zguro said. "I'm not against keeping kids safe. I just don't understand how it would (help)."

Article from western mass.


DAMN THIS IS MY STATE. I KNOW MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS ARTICLE. KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED FOR ME. THIS WOULD RUIN THE GAME AND WOULD BE HORRIBLE, people will feel more comfortable going in hard on challenges, and people will get hurt more. Not to mention that the kids in ID camp will make fun of us so much(usually I wouldn't care, but how are you gonna make a good comeback looking so stupid?), they did it when we passed a law for gay marriage.

(I posted this in the North american section, but I want to see how people from other countries think of this.)

I think MAssachusettes gov has gone frickin nuts.

How stupid will that be if you do have to heading will be a no-show.

Rediculous. The Full 90 head gear is already rediculous, now helmets!!! I feel bad for you guys if this law gets passed.

ya, they skipped right over full 90s and went right into helmets? I dont think that we will have to wear helmets, but what I hope doesn't happen is we wont pass the law to make helmets but then they make an agreement or something so we have to wear the full 90s.

that shit would never happen..idc who says it..it will never happen

Even the politician proposing and backing the movement said it likely wont pass. It's a terrible idea, and it's bound to get shot down. I think you're in ok shape CR.

at least beckham can now retire being a hair scientist.
jk, but how can you header?

You already started this topic in the American soccer forum. Merged.

I just wanted to know what other people thought about it from other countries.

wtf that is shocking.

i am afraid to say that the rest of the world would laugh at you, no offence, but would be the butt of all jokes.

when glazer became the chairman at man utd, the wee comic thing in all the papers that poke fun at the news, that was one of them, it was rooney running out on the pitch wearing a helmet... and the padding etc from the NFL, but that was a joke.

Maybe they seen it and decided to take it serously

hahaha IDK. Im guessing it wont pass though.

i'm sure this will make soccer catch on in America

dammn i could imagine that . they already hate the fact that americans call it soccer worst to invole helmets in the game would cause either uproar or ridicule.

We've already got helmets in England, they're called the Neville's

we play rugby without helmets, i think you can cope without helmets in football

lol, the rooney and the nfl padding shit sounds hilarious, would there happen to be a vid around?

Yeah I live in Mass. (Needham to be exact) and hated the sound of this, being a midfield heading the ball and sight will be such a bitch...

I understand the mouth gaurd rule because i've gotten hit a few times, and yes it takes some getting used to, having braces it's nothing to complain about.

But a helmet? I love being made fun of when I go to school! /sarcasm.

this obviously just some stupid stor helmets would be so dumb in soccer

amen brother

When is this gonna go into effect if ever? Also, when my team goes to Europe next year, if this rule actually happens, we would just get laughed at....that would suck.

It most likely isn't

God that would suck .

wow thats stupid i hop it dosentpass

lol actually an update on this:

i used to go to dartmouth high in mass and ive played odp and supery and eveyrthing possible in mass

and i was talking to the athletic director of dhs and he said the rule is most likely going to happen if they can produce a helmet that allows players to head the ball...

WHAT THE F*** ARE THEY THINKING?!?!?! OMG IM GNA LIKE START MY OWN LEAGUE IF THIS HAPPENS!