The French football federation allows to ban headscarves, says the country’s highest court

France’s top administrative jurisdiction said on Thursday that the country’s football federation has the right to ban headscarves in matches.

The Council of State ruled after a collective of headscarf-wearing football players called ‘Les Hijabeuses’ – the word hijab refers to the headscarf – campaigned against the ban and initiated legal action.

The French Football Federation prohibits the wearing of a headscarf by women during official matches and at matches organized by it. It is not in line with the recommendations of the football association FIFA, which authorizes players to compete with a headscarf at an international level.

The Council of State said that sports federations “can impose on their players the obligation to wear neutral clothing during sports matches and events, in order to guarantee the smooth running of matches and avoid collisions or confrontations. It considers that the prohibition imposed by the FFF is appropriate and proportionate.”