Have you ever wondered what kind of jewelry an athlete is allowed to wear on the court? Like is a pitcher allowed to wear a wedding ring for the men on the mound? Or is a hockey player allowed to wear a necklace? Here is a brief summary of what professional athletes are allowed to wear in the four major sports.

NHL

Since most of a player’s body (except for the neck and face) is covered in ice by the uniform, skates, socks, gloves, and helmet, the NHL has no rules regarding what type of jewelry may be worn during a game. Since it is a high impact sport, it is best not to wear any kind of earrings or rings during the games. As for necklaces, they are allowed as long as they do not show outside the shirt.

NFL

If there is one sport that is highly critical of what a player wears on the field, it’s the NFL (or as some fans have called it the “No Fun League”). Not only can you be penalized for excessive partying on the field, but also for wearing impermissible socks or shoes. The rules run from the time someone hits the field for pre-game practice to the time they leave the field. The rules apply even during post-match interviews! Ironically, however, the NFL does not have excessive rules about what type of jewelry may be worn on the field. Since the hands are primarily used for catching and blocking, rings are generally not worn as they may affect catching or throwing the ball. On the other hand, necklaces and ear rings are worn as long as they are within reason. On the other hand, bracelets should be covered at all times. Did I mention that the officials reviewed the entire match afterwards to make sure (again) that no one was violating the dress code during the match? amazing.

NBA

In the past few years, the commissioner’s office has begun to confront NBA players with new dress codes that have limited the clothing a player can wear before and after a game. This extends to the court as NBA players are not allowed to wear any kind of jewelry. This means earrings. Bracelets, rings, and necklaces are all prohibited. The only accessories allowed on the court are knee and elbow braces, headbands, and of course, tattoos.

MLB

On the other hand, Major League Baseball seems to have a very liberal policy when it comes to jewelry. Basically, you can wear any kind of jewelry unless the referee considers it a “distraction” or could interfere with the game. In other words, pitchers can’t wear rings because they might scratch the ball and there are no giant, reflective necklaces that might distract the batter from the ball (not that anyone would think of wearing them, but you get the idea).

Most sports don’t seem to allow jewelry, not even one Men’s wedding ringsSo what should a man do? Keep this ring in a safe place until the game is over!