Football: Transgender women banned from competitions in England and Scotland

Transgender women will no longer be able to participate in women's football competitions in England and Scotland from next season, the relevant associations announced on Thursday, May 1, in compliance with a recent court ruling on transgender identity.

The UK Supreme Court, the highest court in the country, based the legal definition of a woman on biological sex on April 16.

The changes to the regulations will come into force "from June 1, 2025" in England and "from the 2025/26 season" in Scotland, the federations specified in separate press releases.

If "our role is to make football accessible to as many people as possible," wrote the Football Association (FA), which guarantees football laws in England, it is appropriate to comply with the legal texts in force, it specified.

"We understand that this will be difficult for people who simply want to play the sport they love, in the gender they identify with," she added, assuring that she is contacting "transgender women registered" with her to "explain the changes" and how "they can continue" to play their sport.

The Scottish Football Association "will provide guidance on the implementation of the updated policy, including appropriate participation opportunities for transgender people, before the policy comes into effect at the start of the new season," the Scottish FA wrote.

The UK Supreme Court's decision is the culmination of a four-year legal battle between the Scottish government, which has been heavily committed to transgender rights, and the group For Women Scotland .

"The unanimous decision of this Court is that the terms 'woman ' and 'sex ' in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and a biological sex," ruled the five judges of the country's highest court.

In their decision, issued on April 16, they assert, among other things, that it is legal to exclude transgender women from certain spaces reserved for women – such as shelters or hospitals – if this is considered "proportionate" .