A group of American moms upset about the dangers of head injuries from playing soccer have launched a lawsuit against FIFA, the international soccer governing body.
The mothers claim children could sustain long-term injuries from batting the ball with their heads and that FIFA hasn’t properly addressed the issue, the Daily Mail reported. They say FIFA ought to at least limit the head-butting aspect of the game for those under the age of 17, and tell those that seem to be suffering from a head injury to leave the game.
Specifically, the group bringing the suit want permanent changes to the game’s rules — officially called the Laws of the Game, the Mail reported.
FIFA has been “careless and negligent” in providing players with protection from concussion, the lawsuit stated, the Mail reported.
“There is an epidemic of concussion injuries in soccer at all levels around the world, including in the United States, from youth to professionals, from elite players to children playing for the first time, women and men, girls and boys. FIFA presides over this epidemic and is one of its primary causes,” the lawsuit states.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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