Teen banned from women’s football for asking ‘are you a man?’

A 17-year-old girl has received a six-match ban for asking a bearded player she was competing against “Are you a man?”.

After the opposition team accused her of being ‘transphobic’, a national serious case panel found her guilty of “discrimination” and the Football Association (FA) imposed the ban. Her identity has been kept anonymous as she is a child.

The girl emphasised that she only wanted clarity over concern for her safety, and she never intended for the question to be “hurtful or malicious”.

‘Mockery’

The 17-year-old explained that she asked the referee about the man’s eligibility to play in the women’s game, as she was concerned about becoming “dangerously injured” since he was “much larger than me and a very physical player”.

Her mum commented: “We’ve always taught our daughter to ask questions, and if she doesn’t feel comfortable or she doesn’t feel safe then she should go to somebody in charge and ask the question. In safeguarding training at places of work, you’re always told that you should question everything”.

But, she said, the FA “is essentially saying that no woman, when faced with what appears to be a male on the pitch, is entitled to ask a question”.

Fiona McAnena, Director of Campaigns for women’s group Sex Matters, added that the ruling “makes a mockery of the game”, saying: “How can the FA talk about a commitment to true equality in community football while undermining the rights and safety of the very players it claims to be supporting?”

‘Intimidation’

Earlier this year, a transgender football manager came under fire for signing a six foot tall man to play for his women’s team, sparking concern for player safety.

Lucy Clark, a man who identifies as a woman, manages Sutton United’s women’s team. In keeping with his pledge to create a team “solely of trans women”, Clark signed goalkeeper Blair Hamilton in August.

But the signing provoked controversy and a fixture against Ebbsfleet United was postponed by the club, while the father of a female player who had played against Hamilton shared how his daughter was “massively intimidated” by the goalkeeper’s physical advantage.

The FA’s protocols currently allow men who identify as women to participate in women’s games, despite criticism that this goes against the 2010 Equality Act, which allows restrictions in sports if they are needed to uphold fair or safe competition.