FA bars transgender women from women’s football

Transgender women will no longer be allowed to compete in women’s football in England and Scotland, as both countries move to update their policies following a recent UK Supreme Court ruling.

The Football Association (FA) in England has announced that starting from June 1, transgender women will not be eligible to participate in female football competitions. Similarly, the Scottish Football Association (SFA) has decided that, from next season, only players who were born biologically female can compete in women’s football from under-13 levels and up.

This policy shift aligns with the Supreme Court decision delivered on April 16, which clarified that Section 195 of the Equality Act allows sports to restrict participation based on biological sex where it is necessary for fairness or safety.

The BBC first reported Scotland’s decision, which was later confirmed by the PA news agency. It is believed that no transgender women are currently registered in the Scottish football system. Previously, the SFA allowed transgender women to participate on a case-by-case basis, provided they reduced their testosterone levels to the approved standard.

Meanwhile, the English FA has said it is still “carefully reviewing” its current transgender and non-binary policy and is seeking legal advice. While the FA currently permits transgender women to compete with women if they meet specific testosterone criteria, it has recently included a provision allowing the organization to exercise final discretion regarding eligibility, especially when safety or fairness is in question.

A spokesperson for the English FA said: “We are carefully reviewing our policy and taking legal advice.”

This decision comes after other sports organizations in the UK have started to reassess their rules following the court ruling. Last week, Ultimate Pool Group (UPG) declared that transgender women would no longer be allowed to compete in its female division. The UPG based this on both the legal precedent and an independent report that recognized pool as a gender-affected sport.

Similarly, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) is now reviewing its transgender participation rules in light of the ruling.

The recent wave of policy reviews reflects a wider movement across UK sports to ensure competitive fairness and clarity in eligibility standards.