Parents sue FIFA, US soccer organizations over concussions

A number of parents of soccer players have filed a class action lawsuit against FIFA and a number of U.S. organizations that regulate or play a role in youth soccer in the United States.

Court documents show that in addition to FIFA, the plaintiffs are suing the U.S. Soccer Federation, U.S. Youth Soccer Association, American Youth Soccer Organization, U.S. Club Soccer, and California Youth Soccer Association.

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for Northern California. It opens by pointing out that people playing soccer suffer from concussions much more than most other sports. These sports include baseball, basketball, wrestling, and softball combined. Female players suffer from concussions more frequently than their male counterparts.

The lawsuit contends that the effects of a concussion can last up to three months after the initial injury. Even if a player is not concussed, it has been show that soccer players who "head," or contact the ball with their head more often, display worse attention and memory than other players.

The suit also says that younger players are more likely to develop issues from head impacts. This is because the brain of a young person is still developing and susceptible to changes. It is also because a stronger neck is correlated with less concussions, and most young people have weaker necks than full-grown adults.

To add heft to these claims, the lawsuit notes that several former members of the U.S. Women's National Soccer team do not allow their children, or the teams they coach, to head the ball before high school. These players include Brandi Chastain, Cindy Parlow Cone, and Joy Faucett.

The guidelines handed out by the various soccer organizations in the lawsuit call for the introduction of heading at age 10. The lawsuit contends that some coaches and organizations introduce the practice as young as the age of 3.