Question Number: 16901

Law 4 - Players Equipment 9/26/2007

RE: Under 18

pete of pete, pete pete asks...

what are the risk and hazards of playing football with jewllery

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

The risks are that you won't be allowed to play, because the Laws say you may not.

Specifically jewelry can lead to injuries ranging from cuts and abrasions to broken bones to bloody amputations. Don't do it!

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

A typical problem with earings is that an opponenet will cause the earing to be ripped out of one's head. This causes pain and bleeding. The bleeding forces you out of the game. That also leads to the risk of infection near your brain which may lead to death.

One girl I was told by a fellow referee was wearing an elastic hair tie on her wrist as they do, an opponent hooked her finger inside the elastic band and while running at full speed the band severed off the girl's finger! That is a hazard I'd say.

In one game a player was wearing a big ring on her finger. The referee, also a woman wore her own jewlery and told me that she didn't think it would be consistent to make the players remove theirs. Anyway during one of those plays when the ball is in the air and a player often swings her arm back for personal balance. Well the "rock" on the ring hit the opponent's eye, which luckily was closed at the time. The swelling around the face was apparent before the final whistle. OUCH!

Often players wear necklaces, but if that is grabbed by an opponent from behind or if it were to get stuck on something - I'm sure you can envision all the kinds of problems this presents, espcially for the vascular system in the neck.

Now I'm not saying that playing in a football game is a SAFE thing to do, there will always be the risk of injury. However, when you add jewlery to the mix, the injuries become much more severe.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

The wearing of dangerous items is prohibited by the Laws of the Game because they constitute a danger to the players. It is a simple thing to understand. Football is a contact sport, contact with something that constitutes a danger is a hazard. The risk of injury is too great. So as the referee says, take it off or watch. If the referee doesn't care, you should. When you wear it and the referee allows if and you get hurt don't bitch just go to hospital.

And by the way pete pete pete pete, you must not really want this to be answered or you would give us an e-mail address, don't you think. Take off the jewellery or play another sport where jewellery won't hurt you!

Regards,