Scottish FA banning transgender women from playing in women's football

Scottish football is introducing a ban on transgender women playing in women’s football, Sky News understands.

The updated policy goes beyond global governing body FIFA, which has been conducting a gender eligibility review for more than three years without any conclusion.

The Scottish Football Association’s change follows the UK Supreme Court ruling that a female is defined by biological sex.

From next season, only players who were female at birth will be allowed to play in women’s football over the age of 13 in Scotland.

The new policy emulates blanket bans on trans women in women’s sport introduced by athletics, cricket and rugby.

The Supreme Court ruling has prompted another review of regulations in English football, just weeks after the Football Association (FA) updated gender eligibility rules.

The FA will be able to prevent transgender women from playing in women’s matches if there are concerns about the safety of opponents and the fairness of the competition.

The FA will only intervene on a case-by-case basis, hoping to resolve issues through dialogue.

The FA rules still say that players over the age of 16 who were male at birth have to show their blood testosterone is below a particular level to play in women’s matches.

There aren’t believed to be any transgender women in women’s professional football in England or Scotland.

The FA says there are only around 20 trans women playing this season in the grassroots game.

There are concerns about trans women, who face being marginalised and discriminated against in society, being excluded from sport.

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But others want to protect the fairness and safety of sport, with concerns about transgender women retaining physical advantages having gone through any male puberty.

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