From The Mirror (and reported in various other nationals – Feb 2011)
A school has banned footballs from the playground – in case they hurt the pupils.
Despite a generation of soccer stars honing their skills in the area, it has insisted only sponge balls are permitted because of health and safety.
England heroes – including Steven Gerrard, Joey Barton and Peter Reid – all learned their no-nonsense approach to the game in the school yards of Huyton, Liverpool. But a note to parents of pupils at Malvern Primary School said: “Please can we request that only sponge balls are brought into school. This is to ensure the safety of all our pupils.”
Tam Fry, chairman of obesity prevention charity the Child Growth Foundation, blasted the rule as “stupid”.
He said: “Children must be exposed to risk otherwise how can they learn? It may think it is protecting them but they could just as easily fall over playing with a sponge ball. Our children are in danger of becoming cocooned cotton buds.”
What ever happened to Risk Assessment? Do they not get done anymore?
Although the world of football does seem quite dangerous when you can get shot in a dressing room whilst on work experience. Well done Chelsea!
I agree with Mr Fry’s comments, yes pupils could still hurt themselves playing with sponge balls… however I feel the news article may have meant other pupils being injured by being hit by a hard ball been kicked with some force, not just simply slip & trip injuries.
That being said… I also feel the school is wrong to ban footballs, except sponge types, as this is more of a discipline issue rather than a H&S one – It’s a typical knee-jerk reaction similar to the conkers isue.
If true this is an incredable story. But I suspect that the school has been gripped by claim culture and this may be a reaction to it.
Yep if they want to play fotball and the school has a claim history with footballs – let them do it outside of school in their football clubs !!
Im now 32, but when I was in primary school we already had a ban in place for footballs… Not even sponge ones, we even played with rocks which was obviously safer… The reason for the ban was that a child was knocked over and hurt when a ball hit them and this was the 80’s…
Im not saying it is right, but its not new by any means
As a FA Licensed Football coach and a H&S professional I tend to understand the situation of recklessly thumped footballs in a confined space. However I do agree that it is a discipline, education and supervisory issue as Chris has previously aluded to. It’s definately an issue if this lunchtime kick around turns into a shrove tuesday melee! again discipline issue.Surely supervision and control is the key unless in this case it has not worked or supervisors have been a victim of cuts!
If they want to ban football then that is their concern even though I would disagree with the decision but to ban it on health & safety grounds is wrong and they should be made to justify their decision. Its too easy just to blame H&S.
When I was at school some 30 years or so ago, we were only allowed to play football with small plastic air balls in the playground. Seems sensible when there are other children not playing football in a confined area.
Risk assessments are not the pancea for everything – common sense will provide the right answer.
i tend to think this is not as “Stupid” as people may portray it.
A hard inflated ball hitting someone in the face can cause serious injuries, and we all know children are not always able to associate risk and injury, therefore why not replace hard balls with sponge in the playground?
At least if it hits a young pupil who is playing hopscotch, it will not causes serious injury….i see it from the other side aswell, but this is a good step in accident prevention and not saying “No!” to footie
I am inclined to give the benefit of doubt to the school here in the application of common sense. The playground will be crowded at peak times, with girls using skipping ropes, kids running around playing “tag” and others in groups chatting, using ipods and mobile phones. If lads are kicking relatively heavy footballs about in the same space, there is inevitably going to be grief at some stage. I think the school has made an effective risk assessment in reaching this compromise.