FIFA Wants Women To Be Feminine On The Futbol Field.
In my opinion, the sport should dictate the uniform.
In the NFL, the men wear tight pants for two reasons (a) to give the opponent less material to grab and (b) to hold the pads in place.
In the NBA, the players wear baggy shorts and tanks so that their movement isn't restricted.
In futbol, the players wear looser uniforms for movement and comfort.
So why should women wear different uniforms from the men?
In the sample cited in the article, volleyball, the women wear different uniforms from the men not to be sexy (which is a plus
) but to be practical. Tighter uniforms mean less chance of getting called on a net violation. Compression shorts also provide warmth and support for high-impact muscles. The guys wear looser clothing over their compression shorts because nobody wants to see a bunch of guys in nuthuggers jumping around.
To me, the biggest reasons not to watch a WNBA game is (a) lack of explosive action above the hoop and (b) the girls dress like guys and play like high school boys; nothing but lay-ups and outside shots, but with better control.
I don't watch women's soccer because I find soccer/futbol to be fairly boring except during the World Cup.
Would tighter uniforms cause some attention to be given to women's basketball and futbol? Certainly, if its a flattering cut. Is there a practical reason for it? Probably not. But hey, in pro sports its about filling seats and getting tv revenue, and if selling feminimity works, someone will do it.
It will be interesting to see if the FIFA starts a trend before the WNBA does.
