FIFA bans Iranian Women Team

I think there is a safety issue. Let's say on a one-on-one defender vs striker, the head scarf goes off and rolls on both players' legs, that could be like a train wreck... I'm not joking here!

Geez, what's the big deal? Let them wear their head thingies.Who cares anyway.

@ britexpat,i meant an even playing field in terms of the principle of the issue,not literally! there is no advantage to be gained or lost on the playing field by wearing or not wearing a head scarf & track pants but you haven't replied my comment,so let me put it simply,if Iran allowed non-Iranian women to be out in public without being covered from head to toe then they have a case to make with FIFA,if not,why should FIFA grant the Iranian women's team the right to a different dress code when the Iranians don't do the same for non-Iranian women?...same rules must apply,that's all i'm saying...

why do females need to play soccer anyway?

big deal, Carlos Tevez was banned earlier this year from wearing neck warmers.

The head-scarf may help them in heading the ball..they may even get some advantage in head-butting others..:-/

(speculations on behalf of FIFA..pun intended)

Even playing field indeed. If a person/team gains advantage by dressing otherwise, then it should be disallowed. how does wearing a scarf give them an advantage ?

How about having an even playing field,literally?...women risk being arrested & jailed if they're not covered from head to toe when they step out in Iran,that is Iran's rule applicable to ALL women...well women's football has it's own dress code,applicable to ALL teams...makes sense & banning them seems fair when viewed from that point of view...why should the rules be any different for them when their rules apply to ALL women?...

ALL women have to cover themselves when they step out in Saudi or Iran, yet issues are raised about the hijab being banned in France & the Iranian women's team being banned from playing because they don't comply with the dress code...seems a bit lopsided in my opinion...

How exactly does the dress take the game back to the stone age ?

Perhaps they were a distraction to the other teams with all the extra wrap arounds and the refree must have had a tough time recognizing the different players. Why do the iranians not just play and dress like the other teams or still better stay at home and play in a local tournament at home. We have people wanting to take the game forward and here we have the iranians wanting to take the game and its players backwards to the stone age

Bit of a stupid decision actually. I think the girls got vaught in a power struggle of some sort.

Let them play, Let the girls play....

There shouldn't be any discrimination in football, all womens teams should be banned.

Discrimination.

its a dream killer, oppression of ambition, ruthless discrimination.

all their effort and preparation and hope crucified because of their RIGHT to wear the hijaab.

sad... will be the consequences.

They have rights to wear anything they want. People are now talking about corruption in FIFA. I would form a team where the players(women players) will not be wearing anything to see if the FIFA will ban them or not. Why lesbians and and gays have rights while Muslim women don't have rights because they wear Islamic clothes?

Why the world is so dirty?

Covering any part of the body should not be a problem according to any religion in the world but its our own bull shit ideas that we have modified everything the way we want.The problem should arise when somebody is not covering his body parts or showing to other people.The importance should be given to the game and not the dress code.

Well as you can see for yourself the guy / guys you have mentioned as the killer are not known for being smart or clever people besides being bloated a bit more then the others and it clearly shows their brains are not in tune with their bodies. Must be the guy was feeling so inferior about himself.

sikhs playing cric, driving cabs, flying planes, and many more, but they are just sikhs.

oh, i forgot to add, couple of days ago, a sikh was beaten to death in a state of US, just because a black guy in a train thought, he looks like muslims.

I wonder if there are any Sikhs playing football

Discrimination....

Whats so special about the iranians that they have to act different from the others. Tomorrow we might see another team come in some other fancy dress.

thank U the Liberal and Free World soccer organising committee.

y ?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jun/06/iran-women-olympic-strip

Don't believe the Iranian state propaganda.

Here is a more accurate version of events (with a team photo):

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/united/olympics-2012-fifa-bans-headscarves-for-irans-women-soccer-team/2011/06/06/AGzT1JKH_story.html

Then women were not banned. They were disqualified in ONE match against Jordan. They were told ahead of time (in fact, the history of this dates back two years).

I'm not saying I agree with the decision. Personally, the photo in this linked story above does not lead me to think that anything the women are wearing is inappropriate for the pitch.

http://funstuffcafe.com/iranian-female-football-players