Question Number: 21142

Law 4 - Players Equipment 4/18/2009

RE: Competitive Adult

F. Hildreth of Vancouver, Canada asks...

Is there a reasonable explanation why Ricardo Webber of Stoke City in the EPL is allowed to wear an earring in each ear that is an obvious contravention of Law 4. He wears these items of jewelry in every televised Stoke game, without being sanctioned by any of the EPL referees

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

No jewelry of any kind is allowed by the LOTG. That said you often see MLS players wearing Mr. T starter kits. Apparently some professionals are allowed to blatantly flaunt the Law and get away with it

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

None that I know of, although things at the professional level are often differently done than down here in the trenches among the great unwashed.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Is this the guy that wears plastic inserts in his ears? This player has a unique situation - not just pierced ears, but actual holes stretched in the ear lobes. It has been determined that the inserts are less dangerous than leaving the gaping holes to be caught.

Of course one could ask the same thing I ask the U13 girls (and sometimes guys) with freshly-pierced ears who claim they can't remove the starter studs - 'Well then, why did you get them done when you knew you were going to play football/soccer?'

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 21166