“The referee looked at me and said, ‘You can’t play in that,’” the 15-year-old told The Tampa Tribune. “This isn’t headgear or anything. It’s part of the faith. I don’t think it should be a problem that I wear it.”

A league official overruled referee Steve Richardson during half-time, but he still refused to let the Muslim girl play in the second half of the game.

“At first I was extremely upset,” she said. “I got very emotional. I kept my cool. I wiped my face because I was crying. But then everyone rallied around us. All the team. All the parents. Even the other team. It was just phenomenal.”

The league later apologized to Iman and reminded referees that players are allowed to wear religious articles as long they don’t pose a threat of injury.

Her team, the Hernando Heat, won the game. A different referee allowed to her play in Sunday’s game, which her team lost 1-0.

“There was nothing we could do,” said Frank Villaizan. “Once the referee steps on the field, he is the governing body of that field. He runs the game, and we respect that.”

Richardson, the referee, couldn’t be reached for comment, according to the local newspaper.

Khalil said the white-and-blue head scarf has never been an issue in the two years she has played competitively across the state for the Hernando Heat, an under-16 girls squad.

Her teammates, parents, even members of the opposing Zephyrhills Bulldogs, all urged the referee, Steve Richardson, to let Khalil play, to no avail.

Richardson stood by his decision even after the United Soccer Association’s referee assignor for Pinellas County, Demetrios Papas, checked with the league at halftime and was told Khalil could play the second half, said Mike Duke, an assistant coach for the Heat.

Papas initially backed Richardson before checking with the league at halftime, Duke said.

“That’s the really disappointing thing,” Duke said. “He had an opportunity to make it right at that point, and he chose not to. Both teams were screaming for him to let her play. Still, he wouldn’t do it.”

Richardson could not be reached for comment.

Duke was at a loss to understand the decision.

“The intent of the rule is to make sure you don’t gain a competitive advantage,” Duke said. “How does she gain an advantage?”

Frank Villaizan, president of the USA’s executive board, said Saturday night he did not know much about the incident but expressed regret.

“It’s a shame,” he said. “I don’t like politics in sports.”

Villaizan said the center referee makes the ultimate decision on how the game is run. Asked if Richardson exceeded his authority by refusing to allow Khalil to play the second half, Villaizan said, “That you would have to ask the Florida State Referees Association.”

“If I’m not mistaken, on our end it was, ‘Yeah, play her,’” he said. “I’m sorry this happened.”

One parent, Angela Dombkowski of Pasco County, whose 15-year-old daughter is a right forward on the Heat, called the incident “heartbreaking.”

“All she’s doing is standing up for what she believes,” she said. “There’s nothing wrong with that. She does get ridiculed when she’s out there playing. Somebody always makes a comment to her because of her head scarf. It’s just kids being rude, you know.”

Khalil’s benching brought her and her mother, Hernando County physician Lisa Allen-Khalil, to tears. Yet they were heartened by the show of support they received.

“At first I was extremely upset,” Allen-Khalil said. “I got very emotional. I kept my cool. I wiped my face because I was crying. But then everyone rallied around us. All the team. All the parents. Even the other team. It was just phenomenal.”

Her daughter’s head scarf might draw a look or a comment while she is out with friends at a mall, her mother said, “but nothing on this scale before at all. This is really very new to us.”

The Heat, which won Saturday’s game 4-0, plays at 1:30 p.m. today against the South Hillsborough Soccer Celtics at Putnam Park, 799 Riviere Road in Palm Harbor.

Khalil hopes to be in the lineup and allowed to play.

A not dissimilar tale is told here.

The aim of afc teams is to get top position in the next championship; super bowl. The championship already got sponsors for next tournament because of increasing popularity of american football, not only in America but also in other parts of world, especially in Europe.