Professor Nick Webborn OBE is working in collaboration with the Elite Development Manager and Head Coach of the Football Association's Disability Football Strategy on a research project which aims to understand the nature of forces during head collisions in blind football.

Impact injuries to the face and head are a cause for concern in Football 5-a-side for the visually impaired. These collisions comprised 25% of injuries during competition in a study at the London 2012 Paralympic games. The Football Committee of the International Blind Sports Association (IBSA) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Medical Committee has highlighted that this requires further research for prevention, including the possible development of head protection. To design any protective headgear it is first necessary to understand the forces that occur during collision, and the directions in which these forces occur.

The project will take place during national training camps and competitions of the England Disability Blind Football team in the season 2016-2017.

http://www.thefa.com/England/england-disability-teams