Kicked Out: The UK’s FA Introduces New Rules for Transgender Players

The Football Association has announced a new policy surrounding trans men in football, and folks are not happy. The controversial policy update requires transgender men to formally declare “biologically female” status before they can take to the pitch in any FA-sanctioned competition.  This isn’t the first time the FA has grappled with transgender eligibility, according [...] Read More... from Kicked Out: The UK’s FA Introduces New Rules for Transgender Players The post Kicked Out: The UK’s FA Introduces New Rules for Transgender Players appeared first on LBS.

Kicked Out: The UK’s FA Introduces New Rules for Transgender Players
Athletes playing football
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The Football Association has announced a new policy surrounding trans men in football, and folks are not happy. The controversial policy update requires transgender men to formally declare “biologically female” status before they can take to the pitch in any FA-sanctioned competition. 

This isn’t the first time the FA has grappled with transgender eligibility, according to the BBC. On May 1, the FA scrapped its testosterone-based inclusion policy for transgender women. It replaced that policy with a strict birth-sex criterion after the UK Supreme Court ruled that “woman” must be legally defined by biological sex. Under that ruling, transgender women lost the right to play in women’s leagues entirely. As a result, fewer than 30 registered trans women were left in limbo. The FA justified the move as a necessary response to evolving legal definitions. It offered banned players free counseling and proposed pathways into coaching or officiating roles.

Now, the organization is under fire again. Here is a look at what LGBTQIA+ folks say about the FA’s problematic policy update. 

Trans men are being forced to declare a “biologically female” status.
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The FA’s policy updates have prompted a ton of backlash. The change, unveiled in late June, requires any player assigned female at birth who transitions to male to acknowledge female biology on official forms in order to participate. The FA claims this requirement addresses physiological differences and promotes safety and fairness. However, critics argue it undermines trans identities and fuels stigma, according to the BBC.

FA officials say they crafted the rule alongside legal and medical experts. The updated declaration form explicitly asks players to “acknowledge that there are physiological and performance differences between adult biological females and adult biological males.” It also notes that these differences could “result in a greater risk of injury” when competing against cisgender male opponents. Officials have framed the rule as a necessary safety measure, not a statement on gender identity. They suggest that no amount of hormone therapy can fully eliminate these biological variances.

The form that trans players are required to complete contains a strongly worded declaration. “As a result, adult biological females have a greater risk of injury when playing against adult biological males than when playing against adult biological females; and my treatment will not fully alleviate those differences and consequential increased safety risks,” the form reads. 

Advocates are pushing back against the new FA rules.
People playing football
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Community advocates and athletes are speaking out with anger and disbelief over the FA’s stance. Several grassroots clubs have already threatened to boycott FA competitions unless the organization revises its policy immediately. 

“We are appalled at the FA’s shameful decision to ban trans women from participating in women’s football in England from 1 June 2025,” said Baes FC, a London-based football team for all women. “We stand in solidarity with our trans siblings and will always stand and struggle alongside members of our community for trans rights on and off the football pitch.”

Despite these controversies, the FA has long committed to LGBTQIA+ inclusion. In September 2014, it launched the anti-homophobia Rainbow Laces campaign in partnership with Stonewall and the Gay Football Supporters Network. However, the organization’s latest move has left some folks feeling uneasy. 

Do you think the FA’s new policy truly prioritizes safety, or does it reinforce harmful gender stereotypes? Comment below!

The post Kicked Out: The UK’s FA Introduces New Rules for Transgender Players appeared first on LBS.

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