Scott McTominay heading a ballImage source, Getty Images
Image caption, Heading will still be allowed during matches, but banned in training the day before and after games

The day before and the day after a game, professional football players in Scotland will not be allowed to head the ball.

Repetitive heading to one session per week is one of the things being told to clubs.

Glasgow University found that former football players were three-and-a-half times more likely to die from brain disease than the general population.

The experts think there is a link to repetitive heading of the ball.

The Scottish Football Association has guidelines in place that limit heading in youth football and forbid it in training for the under-12 age group.

Scotland was the first country in the world to have a single set of concussion guidelines for all sports.

After consultation with the 50 clubs across the professional men's and women's game in Scotland, the new guidelines are being introduced.

In order to reduce the burden of contact, clubs are being told to monitor heading activity.

The field study that highlighted the link between dementia and former professional players was done by the doctor who has been at the SFA for more than two decades.

"While the research continues to develop, what we already know about heading and its effects on the brain suggests that there is measurable memory impairment lasting 24-48 hours following a series of heads, and that brain- related proteins can be detected in blood samples for a short time after heading," he said.

Changes in the brain scans of football players may be related to heading.

Reducing the exposure to heading in training is the goal.

girl heading a footballImage source, Getty Images
Image caption, The SFA has previously banned heading in training for under-12 age group players

Many training routines that involve set-piece exercises the day before a match will be changed.

We wanted to engage with stakeholders across football, so we took our time with this.

To get a baseline idea, we wanted to know how much heading is happening.

There was an engagement process with both the players and the clubs through the Scottish FA.

Collective responsibility was the main focus of the event.

Gould said there was a lot of data around in- match heading.

He said the latest research was valuable in understanding the extent of heading load.

He said that he was grateful to the clubs, managers and players for giving him the information and perspectives required to facilitate an informed and data-driven discussion which resulted in the publication of guidelines designed to protect the safety and wellbeing of our players.

The FA in England put in place guidelines for clubs that limit players to 10 high impact heads per week.

Several high-profile former football players have died from dementia in recent years, including the former Celtic captain Billy McNeill.

Analysis box by Chris McLaughlin, Sports news correspondent

There are huge physical and mental benefits to playing football, but the steps taken in recent years to reduce heading in the game reflects the growing concern about the science linking football to long-term brain injury.

The push back from Scottish clubs shows that the message is getting through.

The basic question "is heading a football safe?" is always asked when new guidelines are published.

The science shows what is happening to former professionals, but it's not clear why. The risk is higher with defenders who head more.

The experts are taking no risks.

For new measures to provide the data that will lead to a definitive answer, it could take decades.

If the changes continue, it isn't hard to imagine a game of the future without them.