Soccer parents and players have filed a federal class-action lawsuit against FIFA, the sport's international governing body, over how it handles concussions, The New York Times reported Wednesday.
Filed in U.S. District Court in California, the suit also names American soccer organizations, including U.S Soccer and the American Youth Soccer Organization, claiming they and FIFA have been negligent in watching and treating head injuries.
The parents are not seeking financial damages, but the plaintiffs would like to see changes to the sport's rules, like limiting headers for children and altering FIFA's substitution protocols. Soccer's governing bodies are the latest to face lawsuits over head injuriies and join the ranks of the NFL, NHL and NCAA.
"There is an epidemic of concussion injuries in soccer at all levels around the world, including in the United States, from youth to professionals, from elite players to children playing for the first time, women and men, girls and boys," the filing reads, according to the New York Times.
The suit seeks an injunction that would change the way soccer is played across the board. Children under 17 would be limited in how often they could head the ball. The suit also seeks to make professional and other advanced leagues - which are currently limited to three substitutions per game - allow temporary substitutions when a player is being examined for a head injury. The suit also calls for medical testing to be made available for players who competed as long ago as 2002 and are now trying to cope with the lasting effects of concussions.
Nearly 50,000 high school soccer players suffered concussions in 2010, according to the complaint. These numbers are higher than players in baseball, basketball, softball and wrestling combined. This year's World Cup Brazil had several incidents involving head injuries. Javier Mascherano of Argentina banged his head against a Dutch player in the semifinal match and was sidelined for only two minutes before returning to the game. Medical research suggests six or seven minutes are needed for a full neurological test.
