csconstantine.com

ZURICH (AP)—FIFA will discuss giving the cold shoulder to neck warmers worn by soccer players.

The soccer rules-making panel will debate whether loose-fitting neck scarves called snoods are a safety risk on the field.

No player is believed to have been choked by a snood. But a soccer law relating to players’ equipment states that they “must not wear anything that is dangerous to himself.”

Snoods became popular in the Premier League this season, with Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez and Arsenal forward Samir Nasri among the fashion leaders.

They were previously worn by Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and Brazil defender Daniel Alves at the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa.

The rules committee will meet March 5 in Wales.

Labels: banning, Snoods, unsafe

Snoods have been put under any other business for when football's lawmakers meet on 5 March and, to the horror of some stars, may be banned.

Samir Nasri, Carlos Tevez and Emmanuel Adebayor are all fans of the winter fashion accessory.

"We want a debate whether it could be dangerous," said a Fifa spokesman.

"There may be a safety issue - if for example a player was running through on goal and an opponent grabbed his snood, that could pose a potential danger to his neck."

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has claimed snoods help prevent injury to his players, while his Manchester United counterpart Sir Alex Ferguson has banned his players from wearing them.

United centre-back Rio Ferdinand has said on social networking website Twitter: "You won't see a Man Utd player wearing a snood."

Former Old Trafford midfielder Roy Keane is also not a fan of snoods.

He said of players wearing the snood: "They've all gone soft. I don't know how they do it and focus on the game, it's weird. That's the way the game's gone."

On the subject of fashion, Fifa also wants to make sure that if a player wears tights then they are the same colour as their shorts.

The introduction of 'vanishing spray' - which allows the referee to mark out a line a defensive wall from a set piece should not cross - is also up for debate.

The spray is used in Brazil and South America and evaporates after a minute.

Labels: banned, Football, Snoods, Sport