(HealthDayNews) -- Concerned about the risk of retinal eye damage in young soccer players, the American Academy of Pediatrics has cautioned kids against heading balls during soccer games.
But according to the journal Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, heading is unlikely to cause retinal tears or bleeding as long as the ball doesn't hit the eyeball directly.
Still, kids can reduce the risk of any soccer-related eye injury by using the correct posture when bouncing a ball off their heads: they should tense their neck muscles and meet the soccer ball with the force of their whole upper bodies, not just their heads. They can also wear protective goggles.
