England has banned transgender women from its Women’s Football, beginning June 1, 2025, the FA has announced.
According to Sky Sports, the FA says this follows the material change in the law announced by the UK Supreme Court on April 16. The court unanimously ruled that a woman is defined by biological sex under equalities 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 were 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.”
