
Players will now have to state that they are “biologically female” in order to play
BY NAZ SAKICI, IMAGE BY LATINO LIFE/ CANVA
After the Football Association’s (FA) decision to ban transgender women from participating in women’s football starting from 1 June, following the UK Supreme Court’s ruling earlier this year, the FA is now targeting trans men in football. The FA has brought in a new policy that requires trans men to state that they are “biologically female”.
Even though trans women have been banned from participating in women’s football, trans men are still allowed to participate in men’s leagues.
The Football Association not only requires trans men to say they are “biologically female” but also requires them to state that “they have higher risks of injury when playing against adult biological males”. The players must fill out a statement in order to participate in the competitions in the 2025-2026 season.
According to the BBC, the form says: “I am a biological female whose gender identity is male or non-binary who would like to compete in open age matches and competitions that are reserved for men.”
The FA also now requires the football players to be on the same testosterone level as a cis man which is 7.7 to 29.4 nanomoles per litre of blood.
The FA’s policy sees signing the statement and undergoing “appropriate consultation and examination” as essential in order for trans men to play in the men’s league.
The FA stated to BBC: “We published our updated transgender policy last month to help ensure both the FA and our local County FA network would be able to operate within this new legal framework following the Supreme Court ruling in April 2025. We remain committed to supporting transgender players who meet the requirements of our new policy so they can continue to play football.”
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