Friday, May 2, 2025 — WafricNews

Transgender women will no longer be permitted to compete in women’s football in England from June 1, following a policy shift announced by the English Football Association (FA) on Thursday. The ruling marks a significant change in the sport’s inclusion policies and arrives amid growing legal and cultural debates over gender identity in the UK.

In a statement, the FA acknowledged the emotional and personal toll of the decision:

The ban, which applies across all tiers of the women’s game—from elite leagues to amateur and grassroots football—comes in the wake of a landmark UK Supreme Court ruling in April. The court unanimously concluded that the legal definition of “woman” in equality legislation refers to biological sex, not gender identity. That decision is expected to have wide-reaching implications for public facilities, healthcare, sports, and more.

Roughly 20 transgender women, all currently playing at amateur levels, are expected to be directly affected by the FA’s new policy.

Until recently, the FA allowed transgender women to participate if they maintained testosterone levels below 5.0 nanomoles per liter of blood for at least 12 months—a threshold designed in line with existing UEFA and FIFA guidelines. That policy, the FA stated, was rooted in promoting inclusivity and was crafted with legal advice and global standards in mind.

However, Thursday’s announcement marks a departure from that stance, with the FA citing “material changes in law” as a key reason for the review. “This is a complex subject,” the statement read. “Our position has always been that if there was a material change in law, science, or grassroots football dynamics, we would reassess.”

Scotland’s football governing body made a similar move earlier this month, barring transgender women from competing in women’s football from the start of the next season.

LGBTQ rights organization Stonewall, which has previously partnered with the FA through the Rainbow Laces inclusivity campaign, condemned the decision as premature and harmful.

The group expressed concern for trans women excluded from participating in a sport they love, calling the timing “incredibly disappointing” and warning that the decision risks fueling exclusion without offering a roadmap for inclusion or dignity.

While the FA says it is in direct contact with players impacted by the change, the announcement has triggered renewed scrutiny of how sporting bodies define fairness, inclusion, and competition. With global sporting organizations like FIFA and UEFA yet to respond, the policy shift in England could set a precedent for how other countries respond to evolving legal definitions around gender identity and sport.


By WafricNews Sport Desk