A player's hair is just as much in play as the rest of his body, and it is even legal to tackle a runner by the hair or a handful can be called a holding penalty.
In 2003, after the former Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams was pulled down by his dreadlocks in a game, the N.F.L. ruled that hair was part of a player's uniform and therefore legal to grab in pursuit of a tackle.
Hair pulling is rare, and isn't specifically covered within the Laws of the Game so comes under either violent conduct or unsporting behaviour, depending on the specifics, though the mere act isn't an automatic dismissal. But when off the ball and with force it would be considered by most referees to be a red card.
Referees are reminded that hair pulling is not automatically classified as Violent Behavior II. A brief grab of the hair is different that yanking a player down by their hair or snapping their head back. The rules references are included below. 12.7.
Physical abuse
This includes hitting, kicking, slapping, shaking, burning, pinching, hair pulling, biting, choking, throwing, shoving, whipping, and paddling.
A touch includes contact on the ball, hair or clothing and may be made by either the defending player or the player in possession. A "rollball" is the normal act of bringing the ball into play following a touch or a change of possession.
Let's recap: Illegal touching is committed when a kicking team member merely touches the punt before a receiving team member touches it. It has nothing to do with him going out of bounds. The receiving team's touching is always legal.
Note: If a defender contacts a receiver within the five-yard zone and maintains contact with him, he must release the receiver as they exit the five-yard zone. If the defender maintains contact beyond five yards, it is illegal contact.
Hair pulling is rare, and isn't specifically covered within the Laws of the Game so comes under either violent conduct or unsporting behaviour, depending on the specifics, though the mere act isn't an automatic dismissal. But when off the ball and with force it would be considered by most referees to be a red card.
Rule Summary View Official Rule
No player shall grab the inside collar of the back or the side of the shoulder pads or jersey, or grab the jersey at the name plate or above, and pull the runner toward the ground. This does not apply to a runner who is in the tackle box or to a quarterback who is in the pocket.
No, it's not allowed, but there are several reasons why it wouldn't be penalised either. My comment was because you said it was a free kick then you said it wasn't if it didn't affect the play. A rule cannot be two different things. The referee decides it wasn't at the level of an offence, so a kick isn't awarded.
Football's laws dictate that players are not allowed to shout anything that “verbally distracts an opponent during play or at a restart” and leads to an advantage being gained. Shouting “Mine!” or “Leave it!” isn't explicitly against the rules, but it is all down to the context.
If a player, while correctly taking a free kick, deliberately kicks the ball at an opponent in order to play the ball again but not in a careless or reckless manner or using excessive force, the referee allows play to continue.
In the NFL, a ball carrier can only become down by contact, meaning that defenders must force a ball carrier to the ground, or at least touch the ball carrier while that player is on the ground. (Ball carriers can also go down by intentionally sliding or taking a knee in both sets of rules.)
No Hands, please
First, the rule for a hand ball includes using any part of the body from the tips of the fingers to the shoulder. Second, the proper way to look at this soccer rule is that a player cannot “handle” the ball. A ball that is kicked and hits a player's hand or arm is not a hand ball.
The use of adhesives such as Stickum was banned by the league in 1981, and the resulting action became known as the "Lester Hayes rule" in association with the Oakland Raiders defensive back known for his widespread use of Stickum.
The short answer is yes, that's a legal tackle in the NFL. The rules for ruling a play dead (i.e. a tackle) only state that a) the defender contacts the player and b) any part of the ballcarrier's body other than the hands or feet contacts the ground. There's no stipulation that the player has to be fully wrapped up.
There's no rule against long hair; in fact, the NFL considers hair that extends out of a player's helmet as part of the uniform and therefore can be used to make a tackle.
Defenders only need to 'touch' the ball carrier to stop the attacking team; the rules of the game stipulate that the 'touch' has to be made 'with the minimum force necessary'. It can be done on any part of the body, including the ball or clothing. The 'touch' can also be made by the ball carrier on a defensive player.
Legal contact in soccer is nominally described as being “shoulder to shoulder” between two opponents, as one player comes into the other, or challenges for the ball. The most common instance of this is two players running side-by-side, usually as they both pursue a moving ball in front of them.
Are there any circumstances under which a player can swear and not risk being sent off or charged by the FA? There is no swearing loophole in the rule book, so players and managers must simply mind their language and, if they do swear, only do so in a manner which does not risk offending, abusing or insulting somebody.
Tackles to the head and shoulder areas are strictly forbidden and rules have been implemented to discourage this from occurring. Tackling a player by pulling on their facemask is also forbidden. Grabbing a player from behind around the neck and shoulder area is also illegal and is called a horse-collar tackle.