In a groundbreaking decision, the German Football Federation has ruled that transgender, intersex and non-binary players now can decide whether they want to play for the women’s or men’s teams. Transgender soccer players in Germany will be able to start participating starting next season. The ruling will affect the youth, futsal and amateur leagues.
The resolution was passed on Thursday and makes it clear that it is up to the players to decide when and if they decide to change teams. This ruling comes as politicians across the globe are passing legislation to restrict trans-athletes in sports.
While FIFA currently is reviewing their regulations surrounding trans-athletes’ ability to participate. Other sports organizations have recently placed bans on their participation. Last Sunday world swimming banned trans-women from competing in women’s competitions. The International Rugby League enacted a similar ban not long ago.
These regulations aren’t new to all of Germany. A similar ruling was enforced in Berlin in 2019. The federation has stated that “experience has shown that this does not jeopardize the integrity of the competition.” And that, “after all, all people have different physical strengths and abilities that only lead to success together in a team, regardless of gender.”