[Billy]

Hello,

I’ve been trying to track down what the deal is wth SG boots. Often we play on muddy pitches where soft ground boots are really necessary, these commonly have metal or metal tipped studs and its quite hard to find SG boots with only plastic studs. Not wearing SG studs increases risks of slipping over.

The current rules state:
‘Rule 3.4.
No player may wear items of clothing or equipment that reasonably could harm the wearer or other players, or impede an opponent’s ability to play.

This includes wristwatches, bracelets, buckles and protruding jewellery. Fully metallic studs, long studs and studs with sharp edges are not allowed on footwear.’

I did some research and noticed the 2013 rules interpretation said
‘3.1 Harmful equipment should not be worn (3.4)
Note This includes wristwatches, bracelets, buckles and protruding jewellery. Metal studs,
long studs and studs with sharp edges are not allowed on footwear.’

So between the 2013 and 2017 publications “metal” was changed to “fully metallic”, but I can’t find a tracked changes version and would like to understand the rationale of this. Does it mean soft ground boots like this style are allowed since the studs are not “fully metallic”? https://www.prodirectsport.com/soccer/p/puma-ultra-5-match-mixed-ground-x-soft-ground-fizzy-apple-puma-white-bluemazing-adult-boots-1019295/

Thanks