Editing Football player (section)

===Head===
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| image1            = England Women's Vs USA (16365797348) (cropped).jpg
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| height1           = 160
| alt1              = [[Abby Wambach]], a retired player known for scoring header goals
| caption1          = [[Abby Wambach]], a retired player known for scoring header goals
| image2            = Kopfbälle.jpg
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| alt2              = Heading of the ball in association football can increase the risk of chronic brain damage.
| caption2          = Heading of the ball in association football can increase the risk of chronic brain damage.
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American football players are prone to head injuries such as [[concussion]]s. In later life, this increases the risk of dementia<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Guskiewicz | first1 = Kevin M. | title = Association between recurrent concussion and late-life cognitive impairment in retired professional football players | journal = [[Neurosurgery (journal)|Neurosurgery]] | volume = 57 | issue = 4 | pages = 719–726 | pmid = 16239884 | doi = 10.1227/01.NEU.0000175725.75780.DD | date = October 2005  | s2cid = 2473241 |display-authors=etal}}</ref> and [[Alzheimer's]].<ref>{{cite web | last = Ritter | first = Jim | title = Research: Football players may be more vulnerable to Alzheimer's | url = http://loyolahealth.org/about-us/newswire/research-football-players-may-be-more-vulnerable-alzheimers | publisher = Loyola University Health System | date = 18 July 2011 | access-date = 5 November 2011 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111208154129/http://loyolahealth.org/about-us/newswire/research-football-players-may-be-more-vulnerable-alzheimers | archive-date = 8 December 2011 | df = dmy-all }}</ref> Professional American football players self-reporting concussions are at greater risk for having depressive episodes later in life compared with those retired players self-reporting no concussions.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Kerr | first1 = Zachary Y. | last2 = Marshall | first2 = Stephen W. | last3 = Harding | first3 = Herndon P. Jr. | last4 = Guskiewicz | first4 = Kevin M. | title = Nine-year risk of depression diagnosis increases with increasing self-reported concussions in retired professional football players | journal = [[American Journal of Sports Medicine]] | volume = 40 | issue = 10 | pages = 2206–2212 | pmid = 22922518 | doi = 10.1177/0363546512456193 | date = October 2012  | s2cid = 25752165 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/dynasty-to-death-cbc-s-fifth-estate-examines-head-injuries-in-football-1.725631|title=Dynasty to death: CBC's Fifth Estate examines head injuries in football|date=19 November 2008|work=cbc.ca}}</ref>

Probably due to the repeated trauma associated with heading balls, professional association football has been suggested to increase the incidence of [[amyotrophic lateral sclerosis]].<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Chiò | first1 = Adriano | last2 = Benzi | first2 = Gianmartino | last3 = Dossena | first3 = Maurizia | last4 = Mutani | first4 = Roberto | last5 = Mora | first5 = Gabriele | title = Severely increased risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis among Italian professional football players | journal = [[Brain (journal)|Brain]] | volume = 128 | issue = 3 | pages = 472–476 | pmid = 15634730 | doi = 10.1093/brain/awh373 | date = January 2005  | doi-access = free }}</ref> In a 1987 study of former Norwegian association football national team players, one third of the players were found to have central cerebral [[atrophy]], ''i.e.'' brain damage.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Sortland | first1 = O. | last2 = Tysvaer | first2 = A.T. | title = Brain damage in former association football players: an evaluation by cerebral computed tomography | journal = Neuroradiology | volume = 31 | issue = 1 | pages = 44–48 | pmid = 2717003 | doi = 10.1007/BF00342029 | date = March 1989| s2cid = 21039119 | url = https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00342029}}</ref> A 1999 study connected soccer to chronic traumatic head injury (CTHI):<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Matser | first1 = Erik J.T. | last2 = Kessels | first2 = Alphons G. | last3 = Lezak | first3 = Muriel D. | last4 = Jordan | first4 = Barry D. | last5 = Troost | first5 = Jaap | title = Neuropsychological impairment in amateur soccer players | journal = [[JAMA (journal)|JAMA]] | volume = 282 | issue = 10 | pages = 971–973 | pmid = 10485683 | doi = 10.1001/jama.282.10.971 | date = September 1999  | s2cid = 22772205 | doi-access =  }} (free access)</ref>

{{blockquote|[P]articipation in amateur association football in general and concussion specifically is associated with impaired performance in memory and planning functions. Due to the worldwide popularity of soccer, these observations may have important public health implications}}