The Scottish Football Association (SFA) is introducing a new gender policy that will ban transgender women from participating in women’s competitive football, according to BBC Scotland.

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Starting next season, only individuals who are female at birth will be eligible to compete in women’s football across all levels in Scotland, including grassroots matches for players aged 13 and up.

This marks a shift from the current approach, which allowed transgender women to participate in women’s competitions on a case-by-case basis, with eligibility decisions influenced by testosterone levels.

The SFA’s board approved the updated policy following a prolonged internal review. The decision was influenced by the recent UK Supreme Court ruling, which clarified that the definition of “woman” under equalities legislation refers to biological sex.

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The new policy brings Scottish football in line with other sports such as rugby, swimming, and athletics, which have also moved toward policies based on biological sex rather than gender identity.

While the rule change is significant, it's understood that no transgender women are currently playing competitive football in Scotland.

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Will England FA follow the same suit?

In England, the Football Association (FA) maintains a more flexible approach. Transgender women can compete in the women’s game if they meet specific criteria, including maintaining testosterone levels below a set threshold and undergoing an assessment process.

There are currently about 20 transgender women registered to play amateur football in England, out of millions participating in the grassroots game. There are no known transgender women playing professionally in England or Scotland.

However, the recent Supreme Court ruling—delivered on April 16—has prompted the FA to review its policies again. The judgment confirmed that Section 195 of the Equality Act allows for lawful exclusion from gender-affected sports based on biological sex.

Shortly before the ruling, the FA had already updated its transgender and non-binary inclusion policy, introducing a formal process that gives the governing body discretion to deny or revoke eligibility for safety or fairness reasons.

Critics of exclusionary policies argue that transgender women, who often already face social marginalization, risk further discrimination if barred from sports.

Elsewhere in sport, similar changes are being made. The Ultimate Pool Group recently decided to exclude transgender women from female competitions, citing both the Supreme Court decision and a report classifying pool as a gender-affected sport.