Despite the ban, organizations like Goal Diggers FC are actively opposing the decision by hosting inclusive events and tournaments.

In April 2025, the United Kingdom's highest court ruled that the terms 'woman' and 'man' refer to biological sex for anti-discrimination purposes, significantly impacting transgender women's participation in women's sports.

Following this ruling, the Football Association implemented a ban on transgender players from women's soccer leagues, effective June 1, 2025, raising concerns about increased exclusion for transgender individuals.

The UK's Equality and Human Rights Commission clarified that transgender women will be excluded from women-only spaces, including sports teams, toilets, and hospital wards.

The Football Association acknowledged the challenges this ban presents for transgender individuals but stated they would adapt policies as necessary in response to legal changes.

In protest of the ban, some soccer clubs, such as Goal Diggers FC, have withdrawn from FA-affiliated leagues and are organizing inclusive tournaments to support transgender players.

Other sports organizations, including those governing cricket and netball, are also revising their policies regarding transgender participation, limiting competition to those assigned female at birth.

This ruling originated from a legal case concerning a Scottish law on gender quotas for public boards, which the court found conflicted with the definitions of man and woman under current UK law.

Advocates, including Natalie Washington, a transgender soccer player, have expressed concerns that the ruling may lead to increased discrimination and hostility towards transgender individuals.

Trans rights groups have condemned the court's decision, fearing it will negatively impact thousands of transgender individuals in the UK, where approximately 116,000 people identified as trans according to the latest census.

The ruling has ignited broader debates about the inclusion of transgender athletes in sports, with similar controversies arising in the United States, where various states have enacted similar restrictions.

Washington articulated feelings of loss and fear due to the ruling, emphasizing that it further marginalizes the transgender community.