Of utmost importance to the Belmont Soccer Association (BSA) is that your child receive a positive, enjoyable, and above all else, a SAFE soccer experience.
The BSA is a member of the Boston Area Youth Soccer League (BAYS), which subscribes to the Laws of The Game as adopted by FIFA (www.fifa.com). As such, the association has agreed to support the league’s position regarding player equipment, which excludes the wearing of jewelry during any soccer match.
“A player must not use equipment or wear anything that is dangerous to himself or another player (including any kind of jewelry)”. – Law 4 (The Player’s Equipment)
Simply stated, the “no jewelry” policy means that no player of any age, gender, level or ability will be allowed to participate in a soccer match within Belmont, or at any opposing team’s field, that participates in either of these leagues if they are wearing “jewelry”. This practice is designed solely for the safety of every child since worn jewelry can either cause serious injury to another player or to that player wearing the jewelry as a result of contact that naturally occurs during the course of any soccer game. Further, this policy is taught to all referees during certification training and they have been instructed to uphold and enforce these guidelines.
Two categories of jewelry, in particular, have been the subject of frequent debate, controversy and frustration for all involved. These are: body piercing and medical/religious items.
Body Piercing:
Under no circumstances will the use of jewelry through visible body piercing be allowed to remain intact during play, nor will the practice of covering the piercing with tape, band-aids or other material be allowed. If a child or parent/guardian of the child refuses to remove this type of jewelry at the request of the referee then this player will be prohibited from playing in the match.
The piercing of most frequent debate are earrings, particularly for those children who have recently received the piercing and are concerned that its removal will cause or lead to the pierced lobe to close.
Because ear piercing can be a very significant and important event in a child’s life, the BSA asks that you, as the parent or guardian, carefully consider the timing of this procedure in relation to the soccer season so that the two events do not coincide or overlap. Neglecting to do so may create a very uncomfortable and emotionally difficult situation for and between your child, yourself, the coaches, the referees and the other players, which typically occurs moments before “kick-off”.
Medical/Religious Items:
Providing that these items are a critical and essential necessity to your child’s physical and spiritual well-being whereby their removal could cause harm, these items will be allowed to be worn by a player providing that:
- The item is made known to the referee prior to the start of play
- The item is sufficiently and safely secured to the players body and approved by the referee prior to the start of the game
- The referee deems the item not to be a potential cause of injury to other players on the field
While the BSA understands and respects the right for your child to wear jewelry, the exercising of that right may conflict with the guidelines and rules of an organized youth sports program such as the BSA. The club asks that you respect its decision to support and enforce this safety policy in our effort to minimize the possibility of player injury.