Question Number: 26691

Law 4 - Players Equipment 8/27/2012

RE: Competitive Under 17

Brian Butteworth of Bakersfield, Ca USA asks...

I would like to get your input regarding knee braces. I ask as a coach and a referee.
It seems that knee braces are showing up more and more on the pitch. Mostly with girls/womens divisions. Law 4 states that no one can wear anything that is either dangerous to themselves or to another player. Moreover, a non-basic piece of equipment, if it is deemed safe, may not be used in any unsafe manner. It is up to the referee to decide if the knee brace is safe.
In a recent game, U17G, competitive, our opponent had three girls on the team with knee braces. These knee braces were neither covered nor padded. They were clearly constructed of fiberglass and metal. My team began complaining to me that they were getting bumped and rubbed by these knee braces on their BARE knees and it was getting aggravating. Particularly during corner kicks and free kick set pieces in which the players are in very close proximity. I mentioned this to referee at half time. He said that he checked the knee braces before game time and deemed them to be safe. I asked if they should be padded or at least covered. He said that technically they should be but they didnt have anything to cover or pad them.
I have been thinking about this more and more and there are a few issues that come to mind.
1) Even if these hard braces are deemed safe it seems like there is an advantage to the player with the brace. It is like they are wearing armor. I could see a player NOT wanting to challenge for a ball because they do not want to take a chance on contacting that knee brace with their bare knee.
2) If in the opinion of the referee the knee brace in determined safe but then a player is severely injured as a direct result of the knee brace. What then? Does the referee then say that the knee brace is now not safe? Is there any liability and with whom does the liability fall to? Seems like somebody is going to have some serious explaining to do in this scenario.
3) Does not the wearing of a knee brace say that that player is injured or at least recovering from an injury/surgery? Why are they allowed on the pitch in the first place?
4) What would you say to player who, admittedly, is wearing a knee brace, or braces, strictly as a preventative measure?
During our pregame check in with the referee, he pointed out that some of my girls had hair bands around their wrists. My girls put them there until game time when they put their hair up. He said they had to be removed because they are dangerous. I am not saying that it is not dangerous but it seems kind of odd that a player can play with a hard knee brace on their leg made of fiberglass and metal (padded or not) but an elastic band around the wrist is out of the question.
Thank you for your time and input.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Modern knee braces do not have any exposed steel with sharp edges that made requiring that they be padded an easy decision for the referee in the past. (NFHS rules used to mandate padding for all knee braces.)

IMO, the design of modern knee braces has so changed the question, that I would always permit them. IMO, they are not inherently dangerous to the player or the opponents. The brace simply protects the knee from twisting and reinjury. I believe this change in modern knee braces explains why NFHS rules not longer require padding for all knee braces.

Nonetheless, the referee should be vigilant to make sure that no player uses them as a weapon. Even if safe as designed, a referee can stop a player who makes them unsafe as used. As a practical matter, however, I've never seen a player use a knee brace in this fashion. I have seen (and dealt with) players who used a padded arm cast like a hammer.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Brian
It is up to each referee to inspect equipment before kickoff to ensure that the equipment is safe and poses no threat of injury to the player or to opponents. Most modern knee braces are padded and they pose no risk during play. These braces are designed for sports purposes and here is an example
http://www.welcomemobility.co.uk/Products/Standard-Knee-Brace__SKBCX.aspx
They should not be confused with braces that have exposed metal parts that are orthopedic in nature only. Those should not be allowed
In relation to your questions I would make the following comments.
1. Wearing a brace is IMO a huge disadvantage. Having had a knee injury I know wearing any knee protection is a hindrance. I can assure you as well that the person with the knee injury / weakness is far more wary of being hurt than the opponent.
2. Once the referee deems that the equipment is safe, that is what counts. Without getting into the legal technicalities of this it is assumed that once the referee has shown his duty of care by doing the inspection and that he believes from his past experience and training that the equipment pose no risk then that covers the liability aspects. For example Wayne Rooney of Manchester United got a six inch laceration down to the bone on his thigh recently with a metal stud. It was an accident and while the opponents studs were not inherently dangerous and checked by the refere they did cause the injury. The referee nor the player has any liability there as it was an accident even if one believes that metal blade studs are dangerous which includes Manchester United which does not allow its player to wear them.
3. Some underage Leagues require a medical certificate to play with an obvious injury. Those are the exception though and in the absence of such a competition rule the player by participating has declared herself fit to play and that is all that the referee requires.
4. Wearing a knee brace is to prevent a recurrence of an injury. I know no one who would wear a brace who has not had an injury. You comment that players were being bumped by opponents at set plays. Irrespective of knee braces this is not acceptable behaviour and it should not be happening.
As regards the hair bands around the wrists the referee has no discretion on the matter. The risks posed are low yet interestingly enough the Law does not allow them or rubber/leather bands to be worn while it states that a player may use equipment other than the basic equipment provided that its sole purpose is to protect him physically and it poses no danger to him or any other player.
That is what the Laws state and the referee is bound to enforce the Law. So the acceptable knee brace is allowed while jewellery etc is not.

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See Question: 27858