Lifting the veil on allowing headscarves in football: A co-constructed and analytical autoethnography

Highlights

•	We provide the first analytical, co-constructed autoethnography in sport management.
•	We provide the first autoethnography written by a sport management executive.
•	We identify a number of micropolitical exchange processes.

Abstract

In this article, the authors provide an analytical, co-constructed autoethnography of the first author's efforts to change Law Four of the Laws of Football. Law Four did not allow players to wear clothing or equipment that was dangerous or made any political, religious, or personal statement. The contentious issue was head coverings, and more specifically, the headscarf, an article of female clothing common to hijab within Muslim communities. The co-constructed approach required the first author to write her story. The co-authors role was to probe the emerging narrative, using related theory. Underpinned by an interest in micropolitical exchange process within a multi-level governance structure, the first author's experiences showcase passive resistance, rhetoric, problem framing, expert knowledge, insider knowledge, coalition building, and punishment by exclusion.

Keywords:

• Islam
• Sport
• FIFA
• Politics
• Constraints
• Women’s football