Earrings

May I.....?

May I play with earrings if they are taped?

No.

But they are taped really, really well.

Doesn't matter.

And I have gauze and cotton on both sides.

Still doesn't matter.

And a doctor's note that says it's OK.

You are missing the point.

Says who?

The United States Soccer Federation (USSF).

That's a fairly large group. Who, specifically?

Jim Allen and Dan Heldman.

Who are they?

Jim is on the National Instructor Staff and is a National Assessor of Referees. Dan is on the National Instructor Staff and is the Director of Referee Instruction for the State of Virginia. Their answers have been coordinated with and approved by the U.S. Soccer Federation's National Program for Referee Development.

And what, exactly, did they say?

<quote> Law 4 - The Players' Equipment states very firmly in its very first paragraph: "A player must not use equipment or wear anything which is dangerous to himself or another player (including any kind of jewelry)." This means that all items of jewelry are normally considered dangerous. There are only two permissible exceptions to the ban on jewelry: medicalert jewelry that can guide emergency medical personnel in treating injured players and certain religious items that are not dangerous and not likely to provide the player with an unfair advantage.

Taping earrings should not be permitted by any referee, as there is still the danger of injury to the player. Taping does not negate "must not . . . wear. . . any kind of jewelry." <unquote>

Do you have that in writing?

Yup. Click here. Then scroll way down to the April 2, 2003, questions and answers.

Thank you. Now I understand.

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