Gender policy in sport: What are the rules in football, cricket, boxing, netball and others after Supreme Court ruling? | Football News

In April 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that the legal definition of a woman should be based on biological sex.

The long-running legal challenge centres around how sex-based rights are applied through the UK-wide Equality Act 2010.

The judges were asked to rule on what that legislation means by “sex” – whether biological sex or “certificated” sex as legally defined by the 2004 Gender Recognition Act.

They unanimously decided the definition of a “woman” and “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 refers to “a biological woman and biological sex” – the sex they were assigned at birth.

The ruling was widely reported as the Supreme Court ‘defining a woman’. This is not the case, as the Court itself stressed in its judgement: “It is not the role of the court to adjudicate on the arguments in the public domain on the meaning of gender or sex, nor is it to define the meaning of the word ‘woman’ other than when it is used in the provisions of the [Equality Act] 2010.”

This ruling has prompted some sporting bodies to respond by updating their gender participation policies.

Outlined below are gender policies for a variety of major sports in the UK (information correct as of 6pm on Friday May 2).

Football

In response to the Supreme Court ruling, The Football Association confirmed that transgender women will no longer be able to play in women’s football in England from June 1. This will mean that the estimated 30 transgender women playing FA-affiliated women’s football will no longer be able to do so.

Transgender men will still be allowed to play in the women’s game, but only before they have any kind of hormone treatment.

“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,” an FA statement read.

“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 Scottish FA announced its policy immediately after the FA and also confirmed transgender women will be banned from playing women’s football from the start of next season.

It is understood there are currently no transgender women registered as players in Scotland.

The FA of Wales is still reviewing its policy and an FAW spokesperson said: “We will take the time to consider the Supreme Court judgment and will await further guidance for the sports sector.

“We will take the steps required to meet our obligations under the Equality Act 2010 as clarified by the ruling.”

FIFA’s transgender inclusion policy has been under review for a number of years.

Cricket

Following the Supreme Court ruling, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced it will also be banning transgender women from female competition at all levels.

Trans women had been banned from the top two tiers of elite women’s cricket and The Hundred since the start of 2025, but they were still permitted to compete in the women’s game up to and including tier three of the domestic game and throughout recreational cricket.

An updated transgender policy mirrors the decision from the International Cricket Council, which banned anyone who has gone through male puberty from taking part in women’s international games.

Canada batter Danielle McGahey became the first trans woman international in September 2023 when she played a regional T20 World Cup Qualifier, but less than two months later found herself barred from women’s international cricket following the ICC’s change of policy.

Transgender men would be eligible for women’s cricket, although the ECB says it is also awaiting updated guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

In prohibiting transgender women from playing in women’s professional domestic cricket, the ECB said it had consulted “relevant science and medical evidence” and considered “fairness, safety and inclusion”.

Athletics

World Athletics has confirmed it will exclude transgender athletes who have gone through male puberty from female competition.

UK Athletics has mirrored the World Athletics policy and said it will apply the World Athletics transgender regulation to competition in the UK, licensed by UK Athletics.

In a statement published in 2023, it said: “It is fair for athletes who have gone through male puberty to be excluded from the female category in athletics.”

This decision was made before the Supreme Court ruling.

World Athletics president Lord Sebastian Coe said: “We have also taken decisive action to protect the female category in our sport, and to do so by restricting the participation of transgender and DSD athletes.

“The decision has been taken in consultation with a number of stakeholders including 40 member federations, our athletes, our coaches and through the athletes commission, as well as a range of other community groups, including trans groups, UN experts, the IOC and Para-athletics.

“The majority of those consulted stated that transgender athletes should not be competing in the female category.

“Many believe there is insufficient evidence that transwomen do not retain advantage over biological women, and want more evidence that any physical advantages have been ameliorated before they are willing to consider an option for inclusion into the female category.”

Pool

The Ultimate Pool Group (UPG) was the first sporting body to update its policies after the Supreme Court’s ruling.

The UPG banned transgender women from its female category and said the change in policy was prompted by receipt of a report which confirmed pool was a gender-affected sport under the Equality Act, which therefore permits the lawful exclusion of athletes based on sex.

“Since its inception, UPG has been caught in a vacuum of uncertainty surrounding the issue of eligibility to participate in its women’s series,” the announcement from UPG read.

“UPG welcomes the clarity which this judgment brings.”

The UPG confirmed the open category remained “open to all regardless of sex” and said the rule changes had been endorsed by the international eight-ball federation.

Snooker’s global governing body, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, is also reviewing its policy.

Netball

Following the Supreme Court ruling, England Netball announced a change to its policy that means its female category will be only for players assigned female at birth irrespective of their gender identity.

From September 1, it will recognise three gender participation categories – female, male and mixed netball – with the mixed category to serve as the sport’s inclusive category, allowing players to compete under the gender with which they identify.

World Netball banned transgender players from international competition with immediate effect under a new participation and inclusion policy last year, before the Supreme Court ruling.

The global governing body of what has traditionally been, and remains at an international level, a women’s sport said it had undergone a lengthy consultation before issuing the policy.

“Following detailed review of the science and consultation with experts and members, it has determined that international level women’s netball is a gender affected activity and that a policy is required to ensure fairness and safety at this level of our sport,” World Netball, which will review its policy on an annual basis, said in a statement issued in April 2024.

“World Netball believes that the research on which it has relied is robust, it comprises many research studies, all of which have been published in peer-reviewed journals and come from multiple distinct research groups around the world.”

Boxing

England Boxing is the national governing body of sport for boxing in England. In a statement to Sky Sports it said: “At this stage, the recent Supreme Court ruling does not result in any immediate changes to England Boxing’s policies or rules,” but said it understood that the ruling’s implications “may evolve over time”. The statement stressed that England Boxing would likely follow international rules directly applicable to boxing, but added that it “remains committed to ensuring our policies are inclusive, legally robust, and in line with best practice.”

Meanwhile, World Boxing – which regulates amateur boxing around the world – announced after the Supreme Court ruling that it will update its gender eligibility rulings following a consultation on how the sport tackles an issue that threatened to derail last year’s Olympic Games.

The president of the sport’s governing body, Boris van der Vorst, said all recommendations would need approval by him and the World Boxing board.

The governance of professional boxing is spread across national bodies and state-by-state athletic commissions in the US. There are four international bodies that sanction the major world titles, the World Boxing Council (WBC), the World Boxing Association (WBA), the World Boxing Organisation (WBO), and the International Boxing Federation (IBF).

The WBC policy currently states: “At present there is no consensus whether a bout between a transgender woman against a cisgender woman is a fair bout between two equally matched competitors.

“Metrics such as testosterone level less than 10 nanomoles per litre (achieved by using testosterone suppression medication in the transgender woman), in isolation is inadequate to ensure fairness at the time of the bout.”

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said in 2022 that the organisation had plans to introduce a new transgender category and intended to put out a call for interested athletes to come forward.

Darts

The Darts Regulation Authority currently states that it “encourages mixed-gender events” as the world governing body for the sport, and that it encourages “all trans and non-binary participants” to compete.

It adds that its policy follows UK legislation including the Data Protection Act 2018, Equality Act 2010 and Gender Recognition Act 2004.

The exceptions for the DRA are the Women’s Series and Women’s Matchplay, as both are operated by the PDC.

Following the Supreme Court ruling, PDC chief executive Matt Porter says there are no plans to make changes to its current policy which permits trans player Noa-Lynn van Leuven to compete on the Women’s Series.

“It’s something we’re aware of. It’s not something where there’s going to be changes,” said Porter.

“There haven’t been directives passed down in law, or by regulatory bodies to sports organisations to make changes. As and when that happens, we’ll follow those, but at the moment we’re able to stick with our current policy and we’re comfortable with that. There have been no communications, no legal directives or legislatory changes or anything.”

The other governing body in darts is the WDF.

Its transgender athlete policy, which dates back to April 2024, states: “The WDF believes in equal opportunity for all people to participate in the sport of darts, as athletes, coaches, officials, staff and other volunteers. However, in instances where a transgender individual wishes to compete, the WDF will consider eligibility guidelines to ensure a fair and level playing field for all participants.”

Tennis/padel

Transgender women have been banned from playing in the female category in most domestic tennis competitions in Britain since January 2025, before the Supreme Court ruling.

Trans women and non-binary individuals assigned male at birth will only be allowed to compete in the male category in specified competitions.

These include leagues and tournaments in tennis and padel involving players from different clubs and venues, from the national championships down to local level.

Intra-venue events, such as club championships and social tournaments, have been designated non-specified, and it will be up to individual venues to decide their own policy.

The LTA does not have jurisdiction over international events such as Wimbledon or ATP, WTA, or International Tennis Federation tournaments, so this policy will only apply to domestic tennis.

The policy was the result of an 18-month process involving consultation with affected groups and other sports, and the LTA pledged to review the policy going forward.

The WTA and ATP are responsible for professional tennis worldwide. Sky Sports has contacted them for clarity on their gender policy.

Rugby Union

In 2022, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) updated its gender participation policy. It is likely this policy will be updated in accordance with the Supreme Court ruling, but that is yet to be confirmed.

In the U11 category, mixed-gender contact rugby is permitted, and players can participate without additional approval irrespective of their sex.

Transgender women (male at birth) are not permitted to play in the women’s category, but they are allowed to compete in the men’s category.

Players are permitted to play in the male category if their sex recorded at birth is male.

If the player’s sex recorded at birth is female and the player identifies as transgender, they can play if they provide written consent and undergo a risk assessment to ensure safety.

Rugby League

The Rugby Football League (RFL), the governing body of English rugby league, also changed its gender participation in 2022 and stated players in all contact rugby from U12s onwards would “only be permitted to play in the gender category of the sex that was originally recorded at birth”.

The RFL said the policy “reflects both the requirements of the Equality Act 2010, which defines rugby league as a ‘gender-affected activity’.”

The approval of the policy came after transgender women were banned from women’s international rugby league in June 2022.

The RFL’s policy change, meanwhile, noted that non-contact rugby league would remain mixed-gender with no gender-based eligibility.

“Mindful of the SCEG guidelines that emphasise that inclusion of trans people assigned male at birth in female contact sport cannot be balanced against considerations of safety and fairness,” the RFL policy says.

“This is due to retained advantages in strength, stamina and physique between the average transgender woman assigned male at birth (who has passed through puberty and adolescence), and the average cisgender woman. Recent research has shown that this advantage is retained even with testosterone suppression.”

Golf

From the start of 2025, a golfer entering female professional and elite amateur championships organised by the R&A, which governs the rules of golf, must have been female at birth or transitioned to female before the onset of male puberty to be eligible to compete.

Players assigned male at birth and who have experienced male puberty are ineligible to compete in these events, but can enter male professional and elite amateur championships organised by the R&A.

Players must be assigned female at birth or have transitioned to female before going through male puberty to compete in LPGA tournaments under its new gender policies announced last year.

The updated policies would rule out eligibility for trans golfer Hailey Davidson, who missed qualifying for the US Women’s Open in 2024 by one shot.

Sky Sports has contacted the PGA Tour for clarity on its gender policy.

Hockey

England Hockey announced earlier this year that transgender players will be banned from competing in women’s hockey as of next season.

The changes will come into effect on September 1, in time for the start of the 2025/26 season, until which time transgender athletes will be permitted to continue competing in the female category.

This decision was also made before the Supreme Court ruling.

The governing body said the protection of “fair competition” was behind the move that will see the introduction of separate female and open categories, thereby ending trans participation in the women’s game.

Swimming

Swimming’s world governing body FINA voted to restrict the participation of transgender athletes in elite women’s competitions and create a working group to establish an ‘open’ category in June 2022.

Swim England’s policy matches the FA’s in restricting transgender women from competing in women’s categories, but like FINA also has plans in place for an ‘open’ category.

The decision was made after members heard a report from a transgender taskforce comprising leading medical, legal, and sports figures.

The policy requires transgender competitors to have completed their transition by the age of 12 in order to be able to compete in women’s competitions.

“We have to protect the rights of our athletes to compete, but we also have to protect competitive fairness at our events, especially the women’s category at FINA competitions,” said FINA president Husain Al-Musallam.

“FINA will always welcome every athlete. The creation of an open category will mean that everybody has the opportunity to compete at an elite level. This has not been done before, so FINA will need to lead the way. I want all athletes to feel included in being able to develop ideas during this process.”

Cycling

In 2023, British Cycling announced a transgender and non-binary participation policy which banned riders who were born male from racing in elite female events.

The rules split racing into ‘open’ and ‘female’ categories, with transgender women, transgender men, non-binary individuals and those whose sex was assigned male at birth eligible to compete in the open category.

The female category remained for those whose sex was assigned female at birth, and transgender men who are yet to begin hormone therapy.

British Cycling suspended its previous policy, which had allowed trans women to compete if their testosterone levels were low enough, in March 2022. This left trans woman Emily Bridges, who had spent the previous year working to reduce her testosterone levels to the required level, barred with just two days’ notice from that year’s National Omnium Championships.