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PIM
00-2 (Rev. 09/02) PLAYER USE OF CASTS AND SUPPORTIVE BRACES - REPEALED
MEMORANDUM
TO: CYSA Board of Directors, Ric Olivas, President
CSAN, David Jones, SRA, Bob Martinez SYRA
FROM: John Murphy, Chairman
RE: Player Equipment
DATE: September 9, 2003
At its September 7, 2003, meeting the California
Youth Soccer Association’s Board of Directors made several significant
decisions concerning the equipment players may wear, if but only if, in
the opinion of the referee the equipment is not dangerous to the player
wearing it or to any other player. The Board’s decisions do not change
the basic obligations of parents, coaches, and referees concerning
player safety.
With respect to headgear, the Board decided to
follow the positions adopted by FIFA as reported in the September 3,
2003, Memorandum from Alfred Kleinaitis, United States Soccer’s Manager
of Referee Development and Education. That memorandum reported that FIFA,
in its circular # 863, stated:
"FIFA notes that, under the ‘Powers and Duties’ of
the referee in Law 5 – The Referee, he or she has the authority to
ensure that the player’s equipment meets the requirements of Law 4,
which states that a player must not wear anything that is dangerous. [¶]
Modern protective equipment such as headgear, facemasks, knee and arm
protectors made of soft, lightweight, padded materials are not
considered dangerous and are therefore permitted." (Emphasis
added.) The word "permitted" does not mean mandatory or required.
The referee, as well as the coach, parents, and player, continue to have
responsibility for player safety
and the
referee continues to have the authority and the duty to not allow
equipment that is dangerous to the player wearing the equipment or to
any other player.
The Board repealed PIM (Policy Interpretation
Memorandum) 00-2 (Rev. 9/02) entitled "Players Use of Casts and
Supportive Braces." The Board did not make any changes in the
CYSA Constitutional provision, section 3:08:01, concerning orthopedic
casts and splints. That section provides:
"Players wearing orthopedic casts, air-splints or
metal splints shall not be eligible to participate in any game."
Accordingly, CYSA’s position on player equipment is as follows:
1. Players may not wear
orthopedic casts, air-splints or metal splints;
2. Players may not wear
any equipment that in the opinion of the referee is dangerous to the
player wearing the equipment or any other player (note: Law 4’s
prohibition against jewelry remains as it always has been);
The following FIFA
guidelines should be considered by referees in making equipment
decisions:
• Look to the applicable
rules of the competition authority.
• Inspect the equipment.
• Focus on the equipment
itself – not how it might be improperly used, or whether it actually
protects the player.
• Remember that the
referee is the final word on whether equipment is dangerous.
The guidelines adopted by FIFA are discussed
further in the March 7, 2003, Memorandum from Julie Ilacqua, US Soccer’s
Managing Director of Federation Services, on Player Equipment. The
memorandum is available on US Soccer’s website.
Link to actual document on www.cysanorth.org |
