England FA Bans Trans-Identifying Males from Women’s Soccer
The Football Association (FA), the governing body for soccer in England, announced Thursday it will ban males that identify as transgender from competing in women’s soccer. The policy change comes after a landmark UK Supreme Court decision that legally defined a woman as a biological female.
In a statement, the FA called the matter a “complex subject” and said the new rule would take effect on June 1.
“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 read. “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 statement continued.
Until now, transgender-identifying male athletes were allowed to participate in women’s soccer if they maintained a blood serum testosterone level below 5.0 nmol/L for at least 12 months prior to competition. They were also required to provide medical documentation of hormone therapy and undergo annual verified hormone treatment prior to each season, a Fox News report noted.
The decision follows a unanimous UK Supreme Court ruling last month, which held that certain legal protections for women’s spaces do not extend to biological males identifying as transgender.
“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 FA added.
