Short Term Effects of Football Headers on Reaction Time and Symptomology in Males and Females

ABSTRACT Introduction Football heading is a form of repetitive head impact linked to cognitive decline. Although the English Football‐Association have implemented heading restrictions, evidence guiding sex‐specific protocols remains limited. This study explored the acute effects of a standardized heading drill on reaction time (RT) and concussion symptomology and whether sex moderates these outcomes. Methods 51 participants (25 females; mean age 22.8 ± 4.1 years), comprising recreational and university‐level footballers, were non‐randomly assigned to a heading group performing a 10‐header drill, or a non‐heading control group completing a regulated rest period. Immediately before and after the interventions, both groups completed tasks assessing simple reaction time, sustained attention, inhibition, and spatial timing anticipation and self‐reported concussion symptoms via the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool, sixth edition (SCAT‐6). Results SCAT scores increased significantly post‐intervention only in the heading group ( p = 0.002, dz = 0.59), with higher post‐heading scores compared to the control group ( p = 0.009, d = 0.66). No significant main effect of sex ( p = 0.08) nor any interactions involving sex were found for RT and symptomology ( ps ≥ 0.22). No significant changes in RT for any cognitive test were observed for any condition ( ps ≥ 0.14). Conclusion These findings suggest that a 10‐header‐drill has significant effects on symptomology, but no measurable effect on RT, and that sex did not influence either outcome. This supports the need to monitor sub‐concussive symptoms post‐heading. Future research should assess both immediate and longer‐term effects of stronger, game‐representative headers, across a wider range of cognitive domains.