The Football Associations of England and Scotland have announced that transgender women will no longer be allowed to play in women’s football starting from the 2025 season.
This decision follows a recent ruling by the UK Supreme Court on April 16, which stated that, under the country’s equality law, the word “woman” means someone born female. The ruling has pushed both football bodies to change their current policies.
The English Football Association (FA) said in a statement on Thursday, “Transgender women will no longer be able to play in women’s football in England, and this policy will be implemented from June 1, 2025.”
The FA explained that the change was necessary to stay in line with the law and to protect fairness in women’s football.
“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,” the statement added.
The current rule had allowed transgender women to play in women’s leagues based on inclusion and advice from legal and medical experts. However, the FA said it had always planned to review its rule if there were major changes in the law or science.
“This is a complex subject,” the FA added. “Our position has always been that if there was a material change in law, science, or how the policy works at the grassroots level, then we would review it.”
The FA also said it understands the emotional impact of this decision. “We understand that this will be difficult for people who simply want to play the game they love in the gender with which they identify,” the FA said. “We are reaching out to the registered transgender women currently playing to explain the changes and discuss how they can remain involved in the game.”
The Scottish FA has also announced a similar policy. From the 2025/2026 season, only those who were assigned female at birth will be allowed to play in girls’ and women’s football in Scotland, for players aged 13 and above.
The move has sparked conversation across the UK about inclusion, fairness, and the rights of transgender players in sports.
