• Transgender women banned from playing in women's football in England and Scotland, effective June 1, 2025.
• The ban aligns with a recent UK Supreme Court ruling defining "woman" by biological sex.
• The Football Association (FA) and Scottish Football Association (SFA) emphasize the need for policy change to ensure fairness in sports.
• Controversy arises as advocates for transgender rights express concern over the decision's mental and physical implications for affected athletes.
• The ECB has also barred transgender women from women's cricket, reflecting broader trends in sports policy reforms.

The Scottish Football Association (SFA) has announced it will implement a ban on transgender women competing in women’s football from the start of the 2025/26 season. This policy change affects all levels of competitive football in Scotland, following a UK Supreme Court ruling that defined "woman" as only those born biologically female. The SFA indicated that they would align with other sports such as rugby and swimming that enforce similar restrictions, emphasizing fairness and safety in women’s sports according to Indiatimes and Le Monde.

The Football Association (FA) of England has also declared that starting June 1, 2025, transgender women will no longer be permitted to compete in women’s football. This decision was echoed on May 1 and was driven by the Supreme Court's ruling on April 16, stating that only individuals biologically female meet the definition of a woman under equality laws. This ruling has led to significant changes in the FA’s eligibility criteria, which previously allowed some flexibility with testosterone levels, according to BBC and Reuters.

Advocates and affected athletes have raised concerns about the implications of such bans. Natalie Washington, a transgender footballer, described the ban as a shocking development that feels like a "de facto ban" on transgender women in sports. She noted that the policy could force many trans athletes out of football altogether, complicating their sporting lives and possibly endangering their mental health if returning to male competitions becomes a necessity. This sentiment is shared by others within the community, who feel marginalized by these restrictions according to Channel News Asia and BBC.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has mirrored these decisions by announcing an immediate ban on transgender women competing in women's cricket. This was also influenced by the April Supreme Court ruling and reflects a wider movement across different sports to align policies with biological definitions. The ECB has maintained that while inclusivity is a priority, they must adhere to new legal standards, signifying a shift in the landscape of competitive sports, as noted by CBS News and BBC.