The English Football Association (FA) has mandated trans men to declare themselves as “biological females” and acknowledge an “increased risk of injury” when competing in men’s football.
This is in line with the FA’s revised trans policy introduced after the UK Supreme Court ruled in April that legal definitions of sex must align with biological sex.
Hence, the FA mandates that transgender men must sign a formal declaration to compete in FA-affiliated male competitions during the 2025–2026 season.
The statement reads: “I am a biological female whose gender identity is male or non-binary who would like to compete in open age matches and competitions that are reserved for men.”
It also requires players to acknowledge that “there are physiological and performance differences between adult biological females and adult biological males,” and that such differences “increase safety risks.”
Furthermore, trans men must provide medical evidence confirming that their testosterone levels fall within the “normal adult male range” of 7.7 to 29.4 nanomoles per litre of blood. The declaration must also be co-signed by a qualified medical professional following consultation and examination.
An FA spokesperson explained the move was legally necessary: “We published our updated transgender policy last month to help ensure both the FA and our local County FA network would be able to operate within this new legal framework following the Supreme Court ruling in April 2025.”
Despite assurances of support, the policy has been met with dismay from within the trans community. A transgender footballer who has played in amateur men’s leagues told BBC Sport: “I am not a biological female, I am a man. I highly doubt many trans men would agree to sign a document with that language in it, so it feels like a ban on the sly.”
The FA previously allowed trans athletes to register for their chosen gender category with different wording that acknowledged physical differences but avoided explicit labels like “biological female.” The language change, according to the FA, was guided by legal counsel and not driven by ideology.
While trans women have been banned from women’s football under FA jurisdiction since June 1, trans men remain eligible to play, provided they sign the updated declaration.
To ease the impact, the FA has contacted affected players and offered access to therapy through the Sporting Chance clinic.
It also announced plans to introduce mixed-gender leagues by the 2026–2027 season and encouraged those affected to explore alternative roles in the sport, such as coaching or refereeing.
The FA said it will “keep the policy under review in light of any relevant legal, scientific, or other developments.”
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