Question Number: 20974

Law 4 - Players Equipment 3/13/2009

RE: all levels Under 19

Doug Anderson of Orillia, Ontario Canada asks...

This question is a follow up to question 20899

This is more of a comment than a question but it really merits saying:

Medical apparel (bracelets and necklaces) are one thing; but do you not find that religious apparel is another minefield?

There is a case regarding a Muslim hijab worn by a girl in a U 11 tournament in Quebec a couple of years ago; she was excluded from a game by ref and her team walked out and forfeited. The case made the rounds on the media up here, with reports like the one below that were marvelously uninformed about the referee in question and his attempt to keep the game and players safe.

http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_8219.aspx

Many tried to play this up as cultural insensitivity which pretty clearly it was not. (A story I heard was that the referee in question was of the Muslin faith so he knew the significance of the garment; he really may have been applying safety concerns!) But he seemed to show somewhat slavishly adherence to his training and older association policy. The fact that he (the ref) spoke French likely didnt help anyones attitude either!

I think policy in the associations in question now give wide berth to religious items, while preserving safety. But the topic certainly bears continual vigilance.

Frankly I wonder if the whole thing could have been avoided with proper mechanics: the ref should have conducted a pre-game inspection of the players and their equipment (Law 5!). "Hey coach can I speak tom you? See the girl there? What is that about?" Yes it was tournament so maybe he was time challenged but this is where other things could apply " come to the field extra early and be aware. The tournament organizers / field marshal could have seem this coming and alerted the ref and or tournament officials.

And the coaches could have taken the time to ensure that the ref was aware and onside (This too turned out to be problematic as this girl had worn this garment on her home field in Ottawa, Ontario for some time and had not been questioned or challenged; her coaches could have been legitimately blindsided by the refs concern and ruling!)

Bottom line is that even in competitive realms, these are just kids (11 year olds in this case). And while safety is huge, common sense and making it a positive experience for such competitors should not be far from our minds as well.

DSA

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

I fail to see how wearing a hijab, assuming it is referring only to a head scarf, is a safety issue. That would be no different than a soft cap for cold weather, a head band for sweat, and doesn't even remotely meet the test of a 'gang identifier' which is the ban on bandanas in many youth leagues.

Muslim men are not required to remove their head dress when playing, at least not in recreational leagues. Neither are Jewish followers required to remove a yarmulke. At least not under the Laws of the Game. At some point, common sense has to take over, and the more informed we are, the more common is our sense.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

I read the article and watched the video. It is beyond me how the referee decided what this girl had on was somehow dangerous or gave her an unfair advantage. Furthermore, the referee had to have known the ruckus he would cause by not allowing her to play. According to the story and video she had been checked in by tournament personell wearing the garment and nothing was said. I may be the least politically correct person I know but this reeks of discrimination and I never thought I'd see the day where I'd make such a statement.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

At the time this story first came out, I saw a posting of a picture of a sports-apparel hijab. It was tight-fitting to the head, gave the degree of modesty required by most sects, and did not present any safety issue. I can see where a long flowing, loose scarf could present an entanglement and choking hazard, even if it was originally tucked into a uniform shirt.

This is similar to the issue of wearing eyeglasses. While some refs will allow it, others consider them dangerous unless they are specially-made sports spectacles. It's a matter of opinion.