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The Football Association (FA) has officially prohibited transgender women to participate in women’s football in England at all levels, after a false ruling of the United Kingdom Supreme Court.
The decision, which enters into force on June 1, 2025, is the historical investment of the policy of only three weeks after the FA introduced new eligibility criteria designed to allow transgender women to remain in the female game.
The legal trigger: the ruling of the Supreme Court changes the game
On April 15, the United Kingdom Supreme Court ruled that the legal definition of a woman for the purposes of the services and spaces of a single sex should be strictly based on biological sex, not gender identity.
Since then, the ruling has sent shock waves through the sports world.
FA responded rapidly, citing legal change as a “material change in the law” that required a complete policy reversion.
“This is a complex subject and our position has always been that if there was a material change in the law, science or the operation of policy in base football, then we would review it and change it if necessary,” the FA said in a statement, “”
Trans women are no longer eligible, regardless of hormonal levels
The policy now written, implemented on April 11, had allowed transgender women to participate if they could show:
12 months of testosterone levels below an established threshold,
Evidence of hormonal therapy,
An observation of coincidences,
And compliance with an annual review process.
But under the revised failure, only biologically female players will be eligible for the women’s category in football, regardless of gender identity or hormonal treatment.
Impact: less than 30 trans affected players, but tremendous consequences
Although the ruling affects less than 30 transgender women recorded in the base leagues of England, the emotional and symbolic weight of the decision is massive.
There are no transgender players registered in the Leagues of Professional Women in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, but the decision has established a new precedent that can influence the entire sports landscape.
Political support and pressure body pressure
A spokesman for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer supported the decision:
“Biology is important when it comes to women’s sport … we will continue to support sports bodies to protect the integrity, security and justice of the game.”
In Scotland, the FA Scottish continued Thursday by prohibiting the transgender women of the female game.
The Cricket Board of England and Wales (ECB) is expected to end a similar prohibition, while England Netball has introduced new specific gender categories as of September 1.
Other sports that are already acting
Multiple British sports bodies have introduced prohibitions or reviewed their policies in response to similar pressures:
The British triathlon was the first to create an open category in 2022.
Athletics, cycling and aquatic are direct prohibitions of Trans women compete in female events.
The last pool group prohibited the transgender women of female competitions in March.
The ECB is ready to expand its elite level prohibition at all levels of female Cricket.
FA: “It is not an ideological decision”
The FA insists that the decision is not ideological, but rather a legal and security need.
The senior officials say that they are now in direct contact with the affected transgender women, to explore alternative ways to remain involved in sports, potentially through training, mixed gender leagues or other forms of participation.
Even so, critics say that Flip-Flop of FA damages confidence.
