Transgender women will no longer be able to play in women’s football in England from 1 June, the Football Association has announced.
It amended its rules on 11 April, applying stricter eligibility criteria for transgender women to continue playing in women’s football at all levels.
However, following the UK Supreme Court’s ruling on 15 April that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex, the FA has scrapped that policy and says only those born biologically female will be permitted to play.
“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 FA said.
“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 Scottish FA is set to follow the FA’s ruling by banning transgender women from women’s football in Scotland.
Sources have told BBC Sport that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is also expected to ban transgender women from the women’s game.
The ECB has been taking legal advice on its transgender policy following the Supreme Court ruling and is expected to sanction changes to its transgender policy at a board meeting on Friday.
On Thursday England Netball also changed its guidelines by banning transgender women from its female category.
