ISU rules for protective gloves and skin coverage in short track

For ISU short track, protective gloves must be cut-resistant, and the skater’s gloves are part of the required safety equipment along with the suit and other protection. The ISU safety standards for racing suits and gloves are based on abrasion and cutting resistance requirements.[isu-skating]

On skin coverage, the rule set and ISU materials indicate that skin should not be exposed below the neck in race situations where the protective kit is required, with the suit providing coverage over the major arteries and other vulnerable areas. In practical terms, short track race gear is meant to leave no bare skin visible except the face, and full-body cut-resistant coverage is the expectation for high-level competition.[pugetsoundspeedskating]

What this means in practice:

• Gloves must be cut-resistant, not regular athletic gloves.[isu-d8g8b4b7ece7aphs.a03.azurefd]

• The protective kit is intended to cover exposed skin, especially on the body and limbs.[isu-skating]

• Skin visibility below the neck is not allowed in stricter short-track protective setups used for competition.[pugetsoundspeedskating]

A useful example is the ISU’s own explanation that skaters now wear cut-resistant gloves to reduce wrist and finger injuries, and the gloves also use plastic tips to help when fingers touch the ice in corners.[isu-skating]