FILE - Campaigners take part in a rally organised by trans rights groups, trade unions, and community organisations following the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman in equalities law, at Parliament Square, central London, Saturday April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)
Transgender women soccer players to be banned from English women’s teams
LONDON (AP) 鈥 Transgender women will be banned from playing on women’s soccer teams in England following a U.K. Supreme Court ruling last month, the sport’s governing body said Thursday.
FILE - Campaigners take part in a rally organised by trans rights groups, trade unions, and community organisations following the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman in equalities law, at Parliament Square, central London, Saturday April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)
LONDON (AP) 鈥 Transgender women will be banned from playing on women’s soccer teams in England following a U.K. Supreme Court ruling last month, the sport’s governing body said Thursday.
The Football Association said it had decided to change its rules that had allowed transgender athletes to play on women’s soccer if they had reduced testosterone levels. The Scottish Football Association made a similar decision last week.
The U.K’s highest court issued a ruling two weeks ago that for anti-discrimination purposes as someone born biologically female. The head of the that transgender women would be excluded from women鈥檚 toilets, hospital wards and sports teams.
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While the ruling was cheered by some feminist groups, it has been condemned by trans-rights groups who said it would have a broad and detrimental impact on daily life.
The FA said its policy had been to make the sport accessible to as many people as possible but that it would make alterations if there were changes in law, science or the operations of 鈥済rassroots football.鈥
鈥淲e 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,鈥 the FA said in a statement.
It was not clear how many players would be affected by the policy that would take effect June 1.
