Question Number: 32527

Law 4 - The Players Equipment 6/19/2018

RE: Competitive I think Adult

Daniel of Melbourne, Victoria Australia asks...

Hi there,

Is wearing a Hinged knee brace generally allowed or not allowed by rules, regulations and referees?
I unfortunately tore my ACL in April last year.
I play under FFV (Football Federation Victoria), Australia, in the Metropolitan league 1.

If you are aware of the FFV (Football Federation Victoria) rules on Knee braces then please let me know as Ive tried contacting them regarding this to no response as of yet.

Kind regards,
Daniel

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Daniel
Thanks for the question
It is up to each referee to inspect equipment before kickoff to ensure that the equipment is safe and poses no threat of injury to the player or to opponents. Most modern knee braces are padded and they pose no risk during play. These braces are designed for sports purposes and here is an example
https://www.welcomemobility.co.uk/Products/Hinged-Knee-Sleeve.aspx
They should not be confused with braces that have exposed metal parts that are orthopedic in nature only. This type of brace would not normally be allowed
http://www.liveactionsafety.com/vertaloc-max-oa-hinged-knee-brace/
So really it is unlikely that FFV have any formal position on knee braces and it is left to the referees on the day to decide.

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Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Daniel likely the referee on the day will make that decision unless the bylaws of the ROC spell it out differently' I really do not suggest you play full contact soccer if wearing a brace vey risky if slide tacking etc. is going on!
Cheers

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Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Daniel,
The Laws of the Game do not mention knee braces specifically, they just say that:

''A player must not use equipment or wear anything that is dangerous.''

So absent a provision in the rules of competition (ROC) for the league you mention (which would slightly surprise me) it's left up to the referee on the day to decide if the knee braces is dangerous or not.

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