Article 4.4.2 of FIBA’s Official Basketball Rules states, “Players shall not wear equipment (objects) that may cause injury to other players.” This rule keeps players who wear turbans, yarmulkes and hijab, like Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir and Indira Kaljo, off the court in leagues and tournaments affiliated with the organization. After heightened criticism of this ban on headgear, FIBA recently announced it will review the rule in an upcoming meeting in August. More details from Ummah Sports:
“In response to being called out recently by the United States Olympic Committee and the Council on American-Islamic Relations — among many other organizations, media outlets and social media activists — basketball’s international governing body announced Friday that it will officially review its rule that prevents players from wearing headgear on the court for religious reasons.
FIBA’s Article 4.4.2 essentially bans Muslim women from wearing hijab (headscarves), Sikh men from wearing turbans, and Jewish men from wearing yarmulkes during FIBA-sanctioned games and tournaments. That includes the Olympics and World Championships, as well as most professional basketball leagues around the world outside of the NBA and WNBA.
The anti-headgear rule will be reviewed during an Aug. 27 meeting in Spain, before basketball’s World Cup.”
