English FA bars transgender women from female football

Transgender women will no longer be able to play in women’s football in England from 1 June, the Football Association has announced.

It amended its rules on 11 April, applying stricter eligibility criteria for transgender women to continue playing in women’s football at all levels.

However, following the UK Supreme Court’s ruling on 15 April that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex, the FA has scrapped that policy and says only those born biologically female will be permitted to play.

The FA said, “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.

“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.”

The FA said on Thursday that there were fewer than 30 transgender women registered among millions of amateur players.

There are no registered transgender women in the professional game across the Home Nations.

However, the Scottish FA is set to follow the FA’s ruling by banning transgender women from women’s football in Scotland.

The ECB has been taking legal advice on its transgender policy following the Supreme Court ruling and is expected to sanction changes to its transgender policy at a board meeting on Friday.

On Thursday England Netball also changed its guidelines by banning transgender women from its female category.

Under amended rules announced on 11 April, the FA said transgender women could continue to participate in women’s football provided they met certain criteria.

They would have to prove via medical records that their testosterone levels had been below prescribed levels for at least the past 12 months, and provide a record of hormone therapy and an annual review of treatment.

A new formal process, which would involve a “match observation” by an FA official, would give the FA “ultimate discretion” on a case-by-case basis.

(BBC Sport)