FA bans transgender women from women’s football starting June 1
Scottish FA to allow only biological females to play in women's football.
Transgender women will be banned from participating in women’s football, the Football Association (FA) has announced.
The decision follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that legally defines a woman based on biological sex.
“The Supreme Court’s ruling on the 16 April means that we will be changing our policy,” the FA stated. “Transgender women will no longer be able to play in women’s football in England, and this policy will be implemented from 1 June 2025.”
The FA emphasised that, despite the complexity of the issue, it must adhere to the law.
“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 FA added.
The amended policy is expected to affect at least 20 registered transgender players.
“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 April 29, the Scottish FA also updated its gender policy, banning transgender women from all competitive football.
“As a gender-affected sport, the Scottish FA board has determined that from the start of season 2025/26 only biological females will be permitted to play in competitive girls' and women's football which is governed by the Scottish FA,” the governing body said.