Muslims grumble at Canada football hijab ban

"(The International Football Association Board) determined last weekend that anything related to players equipment is covered under Law 4 of the rules of the game," he said. "In official matches the laws of the game have to be applied."

That seems like foul play to Nickner of the Canadian Muslim group.

"FIFA backed the decision to support the Quebec referee in prohibiting a player from wearing the hijab," he said. "Yet the FIFA Web site shows pictures of women players wearing a hijab."

This is not the first incident involving football players ejected from a game for wearing religious headgear in Canada.

In 2005 a Sikh player was told to remove his patka head covering at a football tournament in Langley, British Columbia, prompting the cancellation of several games.

After that incident, the president of the B.C. Soccer Association said that there were no rules banning religious headgear from the sport.

Other Canadian provinces, including Ontario, also allow women players to wear the hijab.