CNN
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Transgender women will be barred from playing in women’s soccer in England from June 1, the English Football Association (FA) announced on Thursday.
“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 organizing body for soccer in Britain said in a statement.
The FA clarified to CNN Sports that this ban will impact all levels of women’s soccer, from the professional game to the grassroots level.
CNN understands that there are around 20 transgender women who could be affected by this ruling, all playing in the amateur levels of the game.
The decision comes after the UK’s Supreme Court ruled last month that the legal definition of “woman” excludes trans women in a case that is expected to impact accommodations for trans women in bathrooms, hospital wards, sports clubs and more.
Britain’s highest court ruled unanimously that the definition of a woman in equality legislation refers to “a biological woman and biological sex,” sparking celebrations outside court among gender-critical campaigners but warnings it was a “worrying” development for transgender people.
Just days before the April 16 ruling from the UK’s Supreme Court, the FA had updated its policy on transgender women playing in women’s soccer to allow trans women who had kept their testosterone levels below 5.0 nanomoles per liter of blood for 12 months prior to a match and thereafter to continue to participate.
In Thursday’s statement, the FA said that its previous policy, which allowed trans women to play in the women’s game, was based on the principle of making “football accessible to as many people as possible” and “supported by expert legal advice,” as well as falling in the laws outlined by UEFA and FIFA, the governing bodies for European and global soccer respectively.
CNN has reached out to FIFA, UEFA and LGBTQ activist group Athlete Ally for comment.
“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.
The FA’s announcement comes days after its Scottish counterpart did similar in banning transgender women from playing soccer from the start of next season.
When contacted by CNN, LGBTQ activist group Stonewall called the FA’s and Scottish FA’s decisions “incredibly disappointing,” referencing their previous support for the Rainbow Laces campaign, aimed at increasing inclusivity in soccer.
“The (decision) … has been made too soon, before the implications of the Supreme Court’s ruling has been worked through by lawyers and politicians or become law,” a Stonewall spokesperson said.
“Trans women young and old who love football will be deeply distressed that they are no longer able to take part in games, at all levels. Trans people remain protected under the law and need to be treated with dignity and respect – and this announcement lacks any detail on how those obligations will be honoured.
“Hasty decisions, without a full understanding of the practical implications and before any changes to guidance have gone through the necessary consultation and parliamentary process, isn’t the answer.”