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Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain arrives for the first practice session for the F1 Miami Grand Prix auto race wearing various items of jewelry at the Miami International Autodrome, May 6, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Fla.Wilfredo Lee/The Associated Press

Seven-time world champion driver Lewis Hamilton swerved into a faceoff with Formula One during the first practice session for the F1 Miami Grand Prix on Friday when he arrived decked out in necklaces, watches, a nose ring and earrings to protest the racing organization’s ban on jewellery and piercings.

“I couldn’t get any more jewellery on today,” he said.

The move came in response to a clarification from new race director Niels Wittich, who reminded drivers ahead of Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix that they would be barred from wearing jewellery and piercings inside their vehicles under the FIA’s International Sporting Code.

The FIA says the rules are in place to protect drivers in case of a crash.

“The wearing of jewellery during the competition can hinder both medical interventions as well as subsequent diagnosis and treatment should it be required following an accident. The presence of jewellery can slow, due to the risk of ‘snagging,’ the emergency removal of driver safety equipment such as helmet, balaclava, and overalls,” the clarification said, adding that drivers may be searched before the competition begins.

F1 is not the only professional sports organization to ban athletes from wearing jewellery during competitions. Major sports bodies across multiple disciplines appear divided on whether jewellery should or shouldn’t be worn during events.

Here’s a look at several sports that have banned athletes from wearing jewellery, and others that haven’t.

Basketball

Basketball players have been banned from wearing jewellery since 2005, as part of former NBA Commissioner David Stern’s attempt to rehabilitate the league’s image. The announcement marked the first for a major professional sports league, and also included restrictions on what players could wear on and off the court on game days.

These rules are still in effect today. “The officials shall not permit players to play with any type of jewellery,” the NBA’s 2021-22 rule book says.

Soccer

Several well-known soccer organizations have barred athletes from wearing jewellery, citing safety concerns.

“A player must not use equipment or wear anything that is dangerous to himself or another player (including any kind of jewellery),” FIFA’s rule book states. The World Cup does not explicitly ban participating athletes from wearing jewellery, but notes that its dress code – which consists only of a “neat shirt and formal suit” for men and, for women, either a shirt, blouse, dress or formal suit, including either pants or a skirt – is “strictly observed.”

Football

The NFL allows football players to wear jewellery, as long as it isn’t exposed or visible on the field. It can be tucked underneath jerseys.

Not allowed, however, are “hard objects, exposed jewelry, and substances, including but not limited to casts, guards or braces for hand, wrist, forearm, elbow, hip, thigh, knee, and shin, unless such items are appropriately covered on all edges and surfaces by a minimum of ⅜-inch foam rubber or similar soft material,” the NFL’s rule book says.

Baseball

Baseball players can wear jewellery during games. In fact, Major League Baseball official rules include guidelines specifically for instances that involve accidentally touching a player’s jewellery while trying to prevent a player from moving up the bases.

Tennis

Tennis players can wear jewellery, and are frequently photographed sporting necklaces and wedding rings. There are no rules banning athletes from wearing jewellery in the Association of Tennis Professionals or Women’s Tennis Association leagues. Even at the famed Wimbledon championship tournament, where athletes are required to dress almost entirely in white, there are no rules that explicitly ban jewellery.

With a report from The Associated Press

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