Snitches get riches! Parents can win £50 Amazon voucher for tracking how many times children head the ball in Under 11s football matches as part of FA study on the banned manoeuvre

• Children have been banned from heading footballs over brain damage fears
• Parents are being offered Amazon vouchers to keep track of heading in matches
• One parent said: ‘It will fall on parents to carry out research and dob their kids in’ 

Parents are being offered £50 Amazon vouchers to snitch on children who are heading the ball while playing football.

Heading has been banned in grassroots football from under-7s to under-11s over fears it could cause brain damage in young people. 

Young players are having indirect freekicks given against them by referees for using their heads in football matches – even if accidentally. 

Children can even be sent-off if they deliberately use their heads to prevent a goal.

The Football Association is calling on volunteers to carry out research on how many times heading is taking place in youth games.

Those taking part stand a chance of winning £50 worth of Amazon vouchers.

One mother said: ‘All youth clubs are run by volunteers.

(Stock Image) Children have been banned from heading the ball in football matches over fears doing so can lead to brain damage 

‘And 99 per cent of the volunteers are parents.

‘So it will fall on parents to carry out this research and dob their kids in.’

England Football – part of the FA – said: ‘We are conducting an internal research study to understand the occurrence of heading in youth football and the impact of the trial taking place.

‘An extremely important part of the research requires the help of volunteers to attend and observe as many Under 7s to Under 12s football matches within the trial.

‘We need to increase the number of actual in-game observations to best evaluate the trial.

‘Therefore, we require a volunteer from every home team to observe and collect data from their next home fixtures between now and November 20.

‘For every match that is observed, and data provided, volunteers can enter into a prize draw to win a £50 Amazon voucher.’

Jack Charlton and Nobby Stiles – part of England’s 1966 winning side – died after suffering from brain diseases thought to be linked to heading footballs.

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