David Belk, 50, of Macclesfield, Cheshire, was oblivious to the fact that the impact caused a tiny tear in a blood vessel.
In the aftermath of the match for Higher Poynton Veterans he began to suffer severe headaches, and nine days later he died in hospital.
The inquest into Mr Belk's death heard that he had been fitted with a pacemaker and was taking the blood-thinning agent Warfarin.
Ajit Sofat, a consultant neurosurgeon at Hope Hospital, Salford, Greater Manchester, told the hearing in Macclesfield: "If someone is on blood thinning drugs and hits their head and has a haemorrhage, you could think the haemorrhage must be due to that.
"It is not always the case and I can't say for sure, but this was probably the cause in this case".
Mr Poynton, who in his youth played full back for Poynton FC, took part in his final match on October 7.
His widow, Sheila, 48, a medical receptionist, recalled that soon afterwards he complained of a stiff neck and headache.
The following day he had returned from work feeling "tired", but despite this set out for a trip to London the next morning.
By October 10 his headache had become so severe that Mrs Belk had to rendezvous with him at a motorway services near Birmingham and drive him to the accident and emergency department of Macclesfield District General Hospital. He died there on October 16.
Mr Sofat told the inquest that Mr Belk would have died even if he had gone to hospital in the hours after the match.
The deputy coroner for Cheshire, Dr Janet Napier, recorded a verdict of death due to a brain injury.
Referring to what she described as "a tragic jigsaw of events", she said: "The history of his symptoms seems to date back to when he headed the football.
"He almost straight away complained of a stiff neck and then headache. I feel that the football incident is a significant factor that precipitated the bleed.
"Someone heading a football if they were perfectly fit and healthy would not have had a problem, but the Warfarin played a major factor.
"He was doing his usual Sunday thing and playing football. Certainly no one would have thought heading a ball would have that effect".
Mrs Belk said after the hearing: "He just loved his football. He was a man who lived life to the full".
Mark Warburton, the chairman of Poynton FC and a one-time team mate of Mr Belk, said: "He was a great club member, and extremely dedicated. He played for Poynton FC first team during probably our most successful period when we won the Stockport Cup in the mid Eighties.
"He went on to play for Poynton Nomads, where he finished his Saturday football career by winning the Player of the Year award. After that he moved on to Higher Poynton Veterans".
