03-04-2007, 06:47 PM
MANCHESTER, England - Soccer's legislators have ruled that no player can wear a head scarf on the field.
The International Football Association Board was asked at its annual meeting Saturday to adjudicate on a decision to ban an 11-year-old Muslim girl from playing in a tournament near Montreal last weekend because she was wearing a head scarf.
"If you play football there's a set of laws and rules, and law four outlines the basic equipment," said Brian Barwick, chief executive of the English Football Association, which is one of the IFAB members.
"It's absolutely right to be sensitive to people's thoughts and philosophies, but equally there has to be a set of laws that are adhered to, and we favour law four being adhered to."
Law four lists the items a player is entitled to wear and head scarves are not mentioned.
Goalkeepers are allowed to wear caps and protective headguards.
Asmahan Mansour was told to either remove her hijab or leave the field in an under-12 tournament near Montreal.
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