An Assistant Referee in a first division soccer game who wears a cap as part of his uniform attracts the attention of fans and his peers, since this component while not officially included as part of their uniform, is also not excluded. The Assistant Referee who wears a cap in a game, has revealed a dispute involving the legality of its use as a necessity or its prohibition for aesthetic or other reasons.
Use in Soccer
Used in soccer, "caps" as they are called in some countries, are not unknown, as formerly, goalkeepers were "allowed" to wear them as part of their equipment, because they claimed it helped them block the sun glare during the game. After several attempts FIFA referees finally managed to eliminate the use of caps based on the front visor potentially causing injury to opposing players.
Return to play
After many years of non use, a cap reappeared on Saturday, October 1, 2011 at the Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton, England. Assistant Referee Mr. Cristhian Richards in an English Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Newcastle United, decided to wear a cap to solve a sun glare problem.
Trivial justification
Richards commented that the reason for this was that in the stadium the sun was shining directly in his eyes which forced him to put a hand on his forehead in order to better see the play in the game, especially the offside situations. He argued that this problem diminished his concentration for extended periods and that since the sun did not change position for the second half of the match, he decided to use a cap having previously consulted Center Referee Halsey who agreed to allow its use.
Do not imitate
From this perspective, referees could follow this precedent and use caps in their own matches to where they consider this as normal practice. Nevertheless and in the final analysis, this article of clothing should not be used by referees, because, the variety of caps, hats or visors in each match would be extensive, and would make them appear as “ anti aesthetic,” and in many cases, prevent them from seeing certain things throughout the game. Added to this, is that if the referee prohibits a uniform component worn by a player, he must also set an example.
Recommendations for these cases would suggest the continued use of a hand to shade the eyes since the intensity of the sun's rays decreases as it sets, so it would necessitate using a hand only part of the time, thereby rendering a cap as unnecessary.
Source: Revista Arbitro/Jose Bord
