Lates: Are we Heading into trouble? How much impact does a football header have?

This event is part of the Royal Society's Summer Science Exhibition 2024.

Learn about the impacts of a ball to the head through this hands-on activity using advanced instrumented mouthguards. These mouthguards can be fitted to players or an instrumented headform to measure both linear and rotational acceleration applied to the head. Try it out yourself and see the magnitude of some impacts that can occur during a game! 

Dr Neal Smith, a Reader in Biomechanics at the University of Chichester, has dedicated his research to enhancing performance and preventing injuries in football. For the past six years, he has been focused on projects related to heading, aiming to provide solid evidence to help make the sport safer for everyone. 

Levi Bentley is a Research Associate at Aston University working on the BrainSport project. The project involves the collection and analysis of data on young and adult football players using brain imaging (MRI and MEG), neuropsychological tests and performance analysis. 

Attending the event

This drop-in activity will be held in the City of London Room 1 on Tuesday 2 July 2024, 6pm — 10pm. 

• Free to attend, no ticket required
• Due to limited capacity, there may be times when queuing is necessary for a short period. Please note that we operate on a first-come, first-served basis
• This activity will take place in person at the Royal Society
• Suitable for over 18s
• Travel and accessibility information and details on planning your visit - contact us directly to arrange any specific accessibility requirements
• Food and drink will be available for purchase at our onsite café

For all enquiries, please email us.