Heading the ball could be banned in some football matches in a bid to cut dementia in a move being investigated by the Premier League.
The league has written to clubs to say it is 'pro-actively looking' at research which links heading the ball with dementia in later life.
The move, if brought in, would cover youth football, reports The Mirror .
Dr Willie Stewart of Glasgow University found ex-footballers were three-and-a-half times more likely to die from conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and motor neurone disease.
A similar ban for under-10s has been in place in the USA for five years and FA guidelines already advise against heading.
The Scottish FA is already considering a ban on children under 12 heading the ball after receiving the report.
American Bennet Omalu, a doctor who has worked with concussion victims in the NFL, has called for a ban on heading the ball for all players under 18.
Premier League acting chief executive Richard Masters has told clubs they will return with recommendations after studying the research.
A club source said: “It is something they have jumped on straightaway - they are pro-actively looking at it. You don't want to be doing anything in any academy that puts boys at risk. If that is what the science tells us and that is what we need to change, then I am sure football will change it.”
The Glasgow university study was commissioned by the FA and PFA after claims that former West Brom strike Jeff Astle died because of repeated head trauma.
Wales manager Ryan Giggs said: “Football has made enormous steps in looking after the players but you can’t stop. These kind of studies need to be acted upon, whatever way that is."
