Following a Supreme Court ruling in April, the Football Association (FA) has changed its policy and banned transgender women from playing women’s football in England.

The ban will come into effect on June 1. Currently, transgender women can participate in women’s football if they complete a form and meet specific eligibility criteria set by the FA.

However, the FA has decided to review their policy after the Supreme Court ruled that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex. Describing the issue as a “complex subject,” the FA has stated they are reaching out to registered transgender women to assist them in finding ways to “stay involved in the game.”

The FA explained the decision in a statement, stating: “Our role as the governing body of the national sport is to make football accessible to as many people as possible, operating within the law and international football policy defined by UEFA and FIFA.

“Our current policy, which allows transgender women to participate in the women’s game, was based on this principle and supported by expert legal advice.”