The Football Association (FA) has reversed its long-standing policy and will no longer allow transgender players in the women's game in England.
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- FA ban transgender players from women's football
- Previously allowed trans women with low testosterone
- Change announced after Supreme Court ruling
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WHAT HAPPENED?
The FA has so far refused to bow to criticism from ministers and protesters and has allowed transgender women to play on women's teams on an individual basis. The FA had previously permitted transgender women to participate in amateur women's competitions if they had seen a decrease in testosterone levels for a minimum of a year, but the FA was still able to disqualify anyone for safety or equity reasons.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
The FA has now declared that, effective from next season, transgender women would not be allowed to play women's football in England. This important policy shift comes after the Supreme Court's recent ruling that women were only legally defined by their biological sex. Some transgender athletes had hoped that football would continue to be more inclusive, but this reversal has happened.
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WHAT THE FA'S STATEMENT SAID
On their website, FA announced their decision and wrote: "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 16 April 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 1 June 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."
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WHAT NEXT?
The ban on transgender women in English football also follows the Scottish Football Association (SFA) announcing the same set of rules in Scotland regarding the involvement of transgender women in women's football. The ban in England will be applicable starting on June 1.
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