Snoods proving a safety concern as Fifa considers ban

Players could be banned from wearing snoods on safety grounds, after it emerged Fifa have put the wearing of the neck-warmer up for discussion at the meeting of the game's law-making body, the International FA Board (IFAB), on 5 March.

Snoods have become increasingly popular in the Premier League after Carlos Tevez and Emmanuel Adebayor started the trend last season, but they are not officially-sanctioned kit. A FIFA spokesman said: "We want a debate over the snood and whether it could be dangerous. There may be a safety issue - if for example a player was running through on goal and an opponent grabbed his snood, that could pose a potential danger to his neck."

FIFA also wants the IFAB to insist that if players wear tights then they should match the colour of the shorts and are also looking to clarify the rules for referees to stop play when an object - such as another ball, or an animal - comes on to the pitch.

The FA, which makes up the IFAB along with the three other home nations and FIFA, will ask the body to consider the use of 'vanishing spray' by referees to mark out the line where a defensive wall should not cross. This is common practice in Brazil and South America where officials use a spray to prevent the wall encroaching on the 10-yard gap at free-kicks. The spray evaporates after a minute. There will also be a discussion on whether fouls which deny a clear goal-scoring opportunity should be deemed automatic red card offences if a penalty is also awarded.