By Victor Kanayo
The Football Association (FA) is reportedly preparing to implement a formal ban on transgender women participating in women’s football competitions in England from 1 June 2025, following a landmark Supreme Court ruling.
This was disclosed by the FA in a statement on Thursday.
Part of the statement reads: “As the governing body of the national sport, our role is to make football accessible to as many people as possible, operating within the law and international football policy defined by UEFA and FIFA.
“Our current policy, which allows transgender women to participate in the women’s game, was based on this principle and supported by expert legal advice.
“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.”
The decision comes amid growing debates over fairness, inclusion, and competitive integrity in women’s sports.
While full details of the policy shift are yet to be released, the move is expected to spark widespread discussion across sporting and human rights communities.
Cricket could also follow suit, with reports that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is meeting on Friday to discuss banning transgender women from competing altogether.
