After a NC player forced to cut hair beads during a game, national rules change announced
On Monday, the National Federation of High Schools announced changes to its softball rules after several high-profile cases, including one in North Carolina, became national stories earlier this year.
The NFHS removed language in Rule 3-2-5b that had previously prohibited hard items to control the hair, including hair beads. Head coverings worn for religious reasons no longer will require approval from state associations as well.
In April, Nicole Pyles, a Black player at Durham’s Hillside High School, was given a choice to cut her hair in the middle of a game with rival Jordan High, or to leave the field. The incident occurred on her team’s senior night.
Pyles let her teammates cut her hair. The story appeared on several national outlets and went viral on social media.
“It was humiliating,” Pyles said in a Zoom interview with The News & Observer in May. “Why do I have to take away from myself just to play this game where we are actually doing well? I’m embarrassed because you pick on me in front of all these people for no reason.”
The other big change is for the religious head coverings. The revised Rule 3-2-5c allows for “head coverings worn for religious reasons” and says they “must be made of non-abrasive, soft materials and must fit securely so that it is unlikely to come off during play.”
Head coverings worn for medical reasons will still require approval from the respective state association.
This story was originally published July 12, 2021 at 2:41 PM.
