Update on Scottish Hockey’s Transgender Participation Policy

Following a comprehensive review, Scottish Hockey has approved a new policy regarding participation in our sport. The policy, which aligns with exemptions made through the Equality Act 2010, is based on extensive research and consultation with other governing bodies and experts in relation to gender affected sports.

Key Points of the Policy

Hockey is a Gender-Affected Sport

  • Hockey has been officially recognised as a gender-affected sport in Scotland. This means that factors like physical strength, stamina, and physique are considered major influences on competition fairness.
  • The policy clarifies that competitive structures for those aged 12 and over will be categorised by sex assigned at birth. The policy for participants under 12 remains unchanged, allowing them to compete in the gender they identify with.

Competition & Training Categories

  • The women’s competition category will now be for participants who were assigned female at birth.
  • The traditional men’s competition category will be renamed “Open/ Men” to be inclusive of all participants – it is not the intention of this policy that complete teams of players recorded female at birth enter the Open category
  • Training sessions, informal friendlies, and mixed-sex festivals are not impacted by this policy and may be organized at the discretion of the event organizers.

Our Commitment to the Hockey Community

Scottish Hockey recognises that this is a sensitive and evolving issue, and we are committed to finding solutions that are both fair and inclusive. We believe that competitive structures are necessary to ensure fairness, while also maintaining a welcoming and supportive environment for all.

This new policy will be in place for the start of the 2025/26 season, bringing Scottish Hockey in line with other major sports and organisations, including England Hockey.

For any questions, please contact the Scottish Hockey office. We ask all members of the hockey community to communicate with professionalism and care, respecting the shared goals and direction of our sport.

Transgender and Non Binary Policy 5.9.25

 

 

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