Sports policies

Which sports have restored fairness for women and girls?

Keep track of the state of play in both national and international sports.

United Kingdom – female category based on sex at birth

American football
Badminton (England only)
Cycling
Fencing
Karate (British but not English)
Modern pentathlon draft policy (September 2023), but 2022 policy still in place
Rowing (British Rowing, which covers England, Welsh Rowing)
Rugby League and Rugby Union
Sea-shore angling
Swimming
Triathlon
Volleyball (England only)
Waterski and wakeboard
Wheelchair basketball.

United Kingdom – female category based on excluding any experience of male puberty

Judo
Orienteering.

Note that fairness for all girls requires a policy based on sex at birth, since sex differences are apparent before puberty.

United Kingdom – female category at some levels only

Cricket in England and Wales, governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) – top two tiers only
Tennis – “specified” competition only; discretion for clubs to adopt the same rule for club competitions

At world level

Athletics (World Athletics): “any part of male puberty either beyond Tanner Stage 2 or after age 12” – March 2023
Boxing: World Boxing confirmed its previous position in 2023: sex at birth. The International Boxing Association is also sex-based but is no longer recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which took over the running of boxing at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics. World Boxing is now vying to replace the IBA for IOC recognition, so that it can run the boxing events at the next Olympic Games. It is not clear whether it would retain biological sex as the basis of competition or adopt the IOC policy of accepting passports as sufficient proof of eligibility. In many countries the sex marker on a passport can be changed on request or with a letter from a doctor (In the UK, a GP’s letter is enough.)
Cricket (International Cricket Council): “any part of male puberty” – November 2023
Cycling (Union Cycliste Internationale): “any part of male puberty either beyond Tanner Stage 2 or after age 12” – July 2023
Golf: “any part of male puberty either beyond Tanner Stage 2 or after age 12” – December 2024
Netball (World Netball): recorded as female at birth – April 2024
Rugby union (World Rugby): no male puberty or effects of testosterone – October 2020
Rugby league (International Rugby League): female at birth – July 2022
Sailing (World Sailing): no-one who has experienced male puberty from Tanner stage 2 – May 2024
Swimming and diving (World Aquatics): “any part of male puberty from Tanner stage 2” – 2022
Weightlifting (International Weightlifting Federation): no-one who has experienced male puberty – August 2023

The state of play in other sports

Athletics: UK Athletics announced an intention to adopt Open and Female categories in March 2023, following the World Athletics position, but has not written a policy. Many male runners continue to register as women and compete in races.

Football: FIFA plus GB home nations (England’s Football Association, the Scottish FA and FA Wales) are reviewing current policy but no revised policy has been announced. FIFA policy is from 2011 and refers to men’s and women’s football, without sex definitions (likely they did not anticipate these would be needed). Football associations in the UK subsequently adopted testosterone suppression to 10 nanomoles per litre (normal female range is 0.2 to 1.4 nMol/L; normal male range is 10 to 30 nMol/L). The FA (England) maintains this policy despite a recent review.

In the UK, archery, basketball, golf, (field) hockey, gymnastics, ice-hockey, netball, sailing, snowsport and tennis all state that they are reviewing. A new policy from British Weightlifting is imminent.

In England, boxing and kendo were always sex-based. British Judo changed in December 2023. All the other combat sports have still to sort this out.

UK vs international policies

Some UK governing bodies have said they must follow their world body. Others have followed in the past but now set a different policy on this issue. This applies in both directions. For example:

World Netball, World Sailing, and the International Cricket Council have protected the female category but UK bodies have not.
Several UK and England bodies have moved ahead of their international federations to restore fairness for females, including the British American Football Association, Badminton England, British Judo, British Rowing, British Triathlon and Volleyball England.
The UK’s rugby authorities took almost two years to follow the policy adopted by World Rugby based on evidence about the increased injury risk for women facing male players.