The New York Yankees are changing their long-standing facial hair policy and will let players and coaches have "well-groomed beards" from now on. Owner Hal Steinbrenner announced the Yankees were rolling back the 49-year-old no-beard rule in a statement Friday morning.

For half a century, players on the New York Yankees were not allowed to have beards. Now, the team is lifting the decades-old facial hair policy and allowing for “well-groomed” beards.

New York Yankees players will finally be able to sport beards, the team announced on Friday, shaving the club's "outdated" and "unreasonable" grooming policy.Managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said he's been speaking former and current Yankees for years about the archaic rule against beards set by his late father George Steinbrenner nearly half a century ago.