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I’ve played with and against many soccer players with a wide range of tattoos and piercings, including nose piercings.
However, if you’re a soccer player considering a new nose piercing you may wonder if you can play soccer with a nose piercing.
You cannot play official soccer games with a nose piercing in. But, that’s not the whole story. You can still manage a nose piercing if you play soccer, but it may not be worth it.
Why can’t you wear a nose piercing during soccer? How can soccer players manage nose piercings? We’ll tell you what you need to know.
Can You Have a Nose Piercing While Playing Soccer?
If you are playing an official soccer game, you cannot wear a nose piercing. According to FIFA’s Laws of the Game, Law 4-The Player’s Equipment, “all items of jewelry are forbidden and must be removed.”
The referee will inspect players before the match and prior to substitution to ensure nobody is wearing jewelry. No jewelry is allowed, which includes nose rings, studs, etc.
If the referee notices you wearing a nose piercing before the game, they may ask you to remove it.
You will not be allowed to play if you refuse to remove it. If the referee does not notice the jewelry until during the match, he can still ask you to remove it and can caution you with a card.
The above information applies to official games. Many coaches follow the same rules for training, but some may not.
Therefore, you may wear jewelry during training, scrimmages, or pick-up games, but that does not mean you should.
Should You Wear a Nose Piercing During Soccer?
Even if you can wear a nose piercing during soccer practice or unofficial games, you should not. Many players/parents try to cover the piercing with tape. While some referees may allow this, it is against FIFA’s rules.
Here are the top reasons why you should not wear a nose piercing, or any jewelry while playing soccer:
Personal Safety
Wearing a piercing poses a huge danger to you as a player, especially one on your face. If something (a ball, arm, foot, etc) hits you in the face, it could push or pull the piercing, potentially ripping it out. Furthermore, the piercing could easily catch on to something.
Other Players’ Safety
Another concern is the safety of other players. Your piercing could not only poke or hurt you, it could also hurt other players.
It could scratch, stab, or otherwise injury another player.
Healing Time
For many soccer players, it’s hard to find the time to give a new piercing a chance to heal before playing again.
Yet, removing and changing piercings too early is painful and may lead to infection.
Not Worth the Risk
Ultimately, wearing a nose piercing while playing soccer is not worth the risk. It’s fairly easy to take out.
Can You Have Nose Piercing in Soccer?
While you can not wear a nose piercing while playing soccer, that does not mean you can not have one. Soccer players at all levels have nose piercings.
The key is that you can not wear it while playing soccer. How can you have a nose piercing as a soccer player?
Here are a few tips:
- Get your nose pierced with plenty of time to heal.
- Bring extra piercings with you so that you aren’t at risk of losing your only one.
- Bring a piercing case to store your piercings when not in use.
- Use an easy-to-remove piercing.
- Follow the necessary steps to care for your piercing and ensure it stays in good shape.
When Should A Soccer Player Get Their Nose Pierced?
The reality is that it can be pretty difficult to manage a new piercing as a soccer player. However, this does not mean that it’s impossible! You can certainly get your nose pierced as a soccer player if you want to.
The average healing time for a nostril nose piercing is 2 to 4 months and it’s 3 to 4 months for a pierced septum.
Based on the average healing time, you should only consider a piercing if it has enough time to heal before your soccer season begins.
For many players, the most time off will be at the conclusion of the current season.
However, for most high-level soccer players it’s a year-round sport. Even back in high school, I would not have had 4 months to dedicate to healing a piercing.
In reality, you’ll need to evaluate your schedule to determine if you have time to dedicate to a piercing.
Make sure you fully understand the responsibility of caring for a piercing, including removing it for soccer, before considering one.
Conclusion
Can you play soccer with a nose piercing? While some referees may let you get away with playing with a nose piercing or retainer, the answer is no.
According to the laws of the game, you cannot play with any jewelry.
Still, soccer players can have their noses pierced. It is certainly a big commitment to get a nose piercing as a soccer player as you will have to remove it so often.
Furthermore, it can be hard to find the time to allow a piercing to fully heal.
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Joel is a seasoned soccer journalist and analyst with many years of experience in the field. Joel specializes in game analysis, player profiles, transfer news, and has a keen eye for the tactical nuances of the game. He played at various levels in the game and coached teams - he is happy to share his insight with you.
