The Fédération Internationale de Football Association(FIFA) has officially approved the use of head covers including turbans and hijabs for religious reasons during football matches. The ruling was made following a meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in Zurich.
It concluded this after a two-year trial proved that wearing of head covers while playing competitive football posed too great a risk of injury to the head or neck as suggested by FIFA officials in 2012, proved not to be true. The rule will come into play by June 1,2014.
The Women’s team in Iran protested for not being allowed to wear head scarves and withdrew from an Olympic qualification match against Jordan in 2011 while Canada also asked for the ban of head scarves and turbans to be lifted that same year.
The secretary general of FIFA, Jarome Valcke said this concerning the matter:
“It was decided that female players can cover their heads to play. Male players can play with head covers too. It will be a basic head cover and the colour should be the same as the team jersey. The change will come into effect
I don't know if this is a good or a bad development.
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