Why Do Some Basketball Players Wear Tape on Their Ears?

After a record-breaking season, Game 5 of the WNBA Finals went out with a bang, with the New York Liberty eking out a five-point win over the Minnesota Lynx. The game had many standout moments, but many new fans puzzled over a seemingly small detail: why were some players, including Lynx forward Alanna Smith, wearing white tape on their ears?

We know that WNBA fashion has taken center stage on and off the court, but these tiny pieces of white tape are not a fashion statement. The detail is surely eye-catching, and may even seem a bit odd if you’re a new fan, but the tape actually does have a real purpose: to cover a player’s earrings. Here’s everything we know about the on-court choice.

Why Do WNBA Players (and Other Pro Athletes) Wear Tape on Their Ears?

According to the official WNBA rule book, athletes are not permitted to play with any type of hand, arm, face, nose, ear, head, or neck jewelry, which would, of course, include earrings. Given that earrings are inherently sharp and pointy, they’re considered dangerous for the athlete and other players. The worry is that an earring could latch onto a player, potentially causing scrapes, cuts, or jabs, or tear the owner’s earlobe.

Sparkly earrings may also be a distraction for the wearer or other players during a game, which can increase the risk of injury or collision if an athlete isn’t alert. Not to mention, jewelry can get bent, broken, or scratched during sports.

A layer of protective tape makes earrings less likely to snag, reducing the risk of these concerns.

Some individual sports, like gymnastics and track and field, allow athletes to wear small stud earrings since there’s less risk of it being jostled or coming in contact with other athletes. However, in contact, team sports like basketball, rugby, and soccer, earrings are considered a safety risk, and are therefore not permitted at all, unless completely taped down.

Many athletes choose to remove their earrings entirely. But some opt to tape them down instead. In some cases, athletes may have choose to leave their earrings in for religious or cultural reasons. (According to NCAA regulations, religious jewelry is permitted when “securely fashioned to the head.”)

In other cases, the earring may just be difficult to remove or still healing, in which case the athlete may choose to cover it with tape rather than take it out for a game.

As for the color and type of tape athletes must use on their ears, there doesn’t seem to be any public-facing rules or requirements. Standard, white athletic tape is likely the most accessible option before a game, and it’s designed for easy, painless removal without leaving a sticky residue on your skin. Surgical tape may be another suitable option (if available), while Scotch tape or duct tape should probably be avoided since it’s not necessarily body-safe.

Unlike thin, translucent Scotch tape, which is made of cellulose acetate, athletic tape is also usually made from cotton and/or polyester, which can provide a more structured buffer on the ear, in turn, offering more protection for the athlete and surrounding players.

One last note: in rugby, ear tape is sometimes used to protect players’ ears from injury like cuts and cauliflower ear. In this technique, the entire ear is taped, rather than just a small portion as you’ll see in players taping over earrings.

Andi Breitowich is a Chicago-based freelance writer and graduate from Emory University and Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Her work has appeared in PS, Women’s Health, Cosmopolitan, and elsewhere.