English FA Bans Transgender Women From Women’s Football
The Football Association has announced that transgender women will no longer be eligible to play in women’s football in England starting June 1.
This decision follows a UK Supreme Court ruling on April 15, which defined a woman based on biological sex, according to the BBC.
The English Football Association has confirmed that transgender women will no longer be able to play in women’s football in England from June 1.
The FA says this is following the material change in the law announced by the UK Supreme Court on April 16. It unanimously ruled that a woman is defined by biological sex under equality law.
“As the governing body of the national sport, our role is to make football accessible to as many people as possible, operating within the law and international football policy defined by UEFA and FIFA,” a statement reads.
“Our current policy, which allows transgender women to participate in the women’s game, was based on this principle and supported by expert legal advice.
“This is a complex subject, and our position has always been that if there was a material change in law, science, or the operation of the policy in grassroots football, then we would review it and change it if necessary.
“The Supreme Court’s ruling on April 16 means that we will be changing our policy. Transgender women will no longer be able to play in women’s football in England, and this policy will be implemented from June 1, 2025.
“We understand that this will be difficult for people who simply want to play the game they love in the gender by which they identify, and we are contacting the registered transgender women currently playing to explain the changes and how they can continue to stay involved in the game.”
Scottish FA bans transgender women from playing women’s football
Last month, the Scottish FA confirmed that transgender women will not be able to compete in women’s football in Scotland from the start of next season.
