International basketball rule change allows players to wear religious headgear

RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
By Alan Baldwin

Religious head coverings, such as these hijabs, will now be sanctioned by FIBA for use in basketball games. Image courtesy of FIBA

Basketball players will be allowed to wear headgear for religious reasons now that world governing body FIBA has approved a new regulation, which will take effect on October 1. “The new rule comes as a result of the fact that traditional dress codes in some countries, which called for the head and/or entire body being covered, were incompatible with FIBA’s previous headgear rule,” FIBA — as the International Basketball Association is known — said in a statement Thursday (May 4). The decision, which overturns a 20-year ban on religious head coverings that was originally imposed for safety reasons, was ratified by Swiss-based FIBA’s Mid-Term Congress in Hong Kong. [link]