Question Number: 20899

Law 4 - Players Equipment 2/26/2009

RE: U-14G Challenge Under 14

J. Matthew Newell of Cullowhee, North Carolina USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 20512

A couple of years ago, I was the center for a U-14G challenge game. During the pregame inspection, one young lady was wearing a bandanna on her head. I asked her to remove it, and she informed me she had to keep it on for 'medical reasons.' Her coach verified that she was in fact required by her doctor to keep the bandanna on at 'all times.'

This left me in a bit of a quandary. On the one hand, I believed the bandanna could be potentially dangerous to the player if another player were to grab hold of it during the course of play. On the other hand, the USSF position is clear when it comes to medical alert jewelry, and I wondered if this position could be applied to other 'medically necessary' equipment. Additionally, I did not believe that the young lady created an advantage for herself by wearing the bandanna, and no one on the opposing team had a problem with her wearing it.

I ended up letting her play with the bandanna on, and there were no issues that arose from it. However, when I look back at it, I'm not sure that was the right decision, as I did have my doubts as to the player's safety. Is there a better set of guidelines that you use when determining if an item is safe or not (I have seen some referees allow players on the field with hard arm casts or slings!)? Furthermore, should I have requested documentation on her medical condition, or is the word of a player or coach sufficient?

Any guidance you can give would be appreciated. I have never had this exact situation since, but you never know what's going to come up.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

I'm not sure how you could think a bandana posed a safety risk but what I think is not important. You as the referee are responsible for the safety of the players. ANYTHING, you think is unsafe must either be made safe as in the case of medical alert jewelry, removed, or the player simply does not play. I absolutely would have required some sort of medical proof that this bandana was needed for medical reasons. Sounds absurd to me and I'd have to have more than the coaches word or the player's or a parent's. Bottom line is, if you fell something is unsafe, then do not allow it. I feel certain this bandana did not fall under the category of a medical alert item.
As to casts and slings, North Carolina should have a stated policy, at least as to casts. In Georgia, no casts period. Personally, I think you'd have to be insane to allow a youth player to play with an arm in a sling.

Answer provided by Referee Nathan Lacy

A medically required bandana. Interesting. First time I've ever heard of it but that doesn't mean that it is invalid. However, it's amazing how quickly some 'medical items' or 'religious items' disappear when you, as the referee, ask some penetrating questions about the justification for the item of concern. If the bandana was in fact medical then the coach should be savvy enough to have documentation to that effect and as the referee I would ask to see it. If no documentation is produced the player doesn't play. Either the coach is playing me for a fool or he is incompetent for not having the paperwork. If the coach is playing me for a fool the bandana will miraculously disappear. If the coach is simply incompetent then maybe he/she will fix that for the next match and have the proper paperwork on hand. I commend you on mulling this situation over and being concerned enough to raise the question here. If something doesn't make sense then it's probably a load of bull. However, when we as referees mindlessly accept what coaches and players have to say when a significant portion of them have proven over and over again that they have the values of some big business moguls that we've seen in the news lately as well as the integrity of some politicians who have a less than steller record for telling the truth then we do a disservice to ourselves, the game, and to those referees who follow us and have to deal with the unfortunate and probably inaccurate perceptions about the game that we have allowed. Experiences like these are how we learn and then better prepare ourselves for the next time so that we can correctly and professionally address the issue in a way that leads to a correct resolution. All the best,

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 20974