How to support trans and non-binary participants

England Hockey has developed support and guidance for participants, clubs, leagues, Areas and Counties. This can be found below. We have expert safeguarding, inclusion and governance teams who can help you with any queries, concerns, or questions you have. You can reach Safeguarding on safeguarding@englandhockey.co.uk, inclusion on inclusion@englandhockey.co.uk, or for specific advice on the trans and non-binary policy please contact trans.policy@englandhockey.co.uk

We have developed a list of frequently asked questions which can be found here. If you have any other questions that are not found in the FAQs, please contact trans.policy@englandhockey.co.uk for support.

We occasionally get media enquiries on this policy. If you find you are receiving enquiries at your club, area, county or any other part of hockey, it’s important that you pass all media enquiries to the England Hockey staff team. Please forward to Media@EnglandHockey.co.uk where we will centrally respond and support you as required.

Some individuals within clubs may openly identify as trans, while others may prefer to keep this aspect of their identity private. It's essential to honour their decision and refrain from sharing any information without their explicit consent, regardless of their age.

Players, volunteers, officials, club members, young players, or parents of other children do not have the right to be informed about the trans status of an adult or child. Respecting confidentiality is paramount in safeguarding privacy.

There may be a situation where disclosure becomes necessary, such as when someone openly expresses a desire to use a different name and pronoun. In such cases, it's important to have a discussion with the individual involved and collectively determine what information, if any, should be shared and how.

Trans participants, whether adults or children (and their parents or carers) may wish to consult with their club (or a club’s welfare officer) on whether to, and how to disclose their trans identity to other members of the club or teams. If you need guidance on handling such conversations, please don't hesitate to contact trans.policy@englandhockey.co.uk for support.

For many, hockey is a safe, warm, and welcoming environment. We want hockey to be a place where everyone can be themselves and feel supported through a network of the hockey community. For a trans or non-binary person who is either new to hockey or could be transitioning whilst at a club, we want to support them to know that hockey is for them. 

Transitioning is a deeply personal journey, and individuals may not always openly identify as trans in all aspects of their life. It's vital to cultivate a supportive environment within hockey where individuals feel free to express their true selves.

When joining your club (of if they transition whilst at your club), if a person chooses to disclose their trans identity, it may be necessary to discuss where they are in their transition, particularly if they interact with peers from other activity groups or communities within the club. This could be especially important if the person is a child.

By addressing this sensitively, individuals can better understand how their identity may intersect with other areas of their life, empowering them to make informed decisions about self-expression within a hockey environment.

The first step to supporting any person (whether an adult or a child) who tells you they are trans, or who is questioning their gender identity, is to listen without making any judgements or assumptions. Reassure them that hockey is an inclusive sport and that they'll always be welcome within the hockey community. Offer reassurance about their opportunities within hockey as a player, coach, umpire, official, volunteer, and more. For playing, please use this guidance document and the policy to outline the options available to them. Let them know their confidentiality will be respected and you will work with them to understand their needs and wants.

The next step is to ask if there is anything they might need to make them feel comfortable and included in the club. The person may want to talk about:

• what pronoun or name they'd like to use and when to use it (this may not be all the time). It can be hard to get this right sometimes, so if you make a mistake, apologise, and move on. It’s important to respect their wishes to learn their name and pronouns just like with any other person.
• whether, when, and how they might like to share anything with other members in their team or the wider club.
• which toilets and facilities they'd like to use (a consideration for both home and away matches).
• changes to their kit and what they wear for matches and training to be comfortable.
• where to find information or support outside of their club or England Hockey.

A person might not want to do anything at all or may need some time to think about any adjustments they need, so let them know that they can always come back to talk to you.

For any specific questions or guidance, please contact trans.policy@englandhockey.co.uk who will be able to support you.

It's essential to ensure that individuals are aware of the Trans and Non-Binary Participation Policy and how it may impact their journey within the sport. For child members, it's crucial that both they and their parents or carers are informed about the policy and its implications as they progress in their playing journey.

For all trans and non-binary members, engaging in open and honest conversations is paramount to ensuring they have a positive hockey experience. 

Start by sharing the policy and the full guidance, so they can start to understand what the policy means for them. Work with the player to understand the options available at your club to allow them to continue their playing journey. Continue to support the player to find the right opportunities and environment for them.

If you as a club member needs support to understand what adjustments or opportunities are available to your trans members, please reach out to the England Hockey team at trans.policy@englandhockey.co.uk – we will be able to support you on options for hockey in your area for your trans members aligned to the policy.

A new member wishing to join your club does not have to disclose that they are trans or non-binary. Please see the respecting confidentiality of trans and non-binary players in the hockey community section for more information. It is important that everyone feels welcome and included in the hockey community. If there is a dispute based on a player’s eligibility within a certain playing category, this should be raised through the official channels and processes as indicated in this guidance. Please see the when to report a concern of eligibility section of the guidance for more information.   If a player does disclose their identity to you on joining or whilst being a member of the club, it is important that you support them and make their hockey experience as positive as possible.

Ensuring appropriate support for all young players is paramount in hockey, with their wellbeing, health, and confidentiality placed at the forefront of our priorities. Sometimes, a member of the hockey club might be who the player chooses to confide in, and it's important to have a conversation with them to ascertain whether they have disclosed their gender identity to their parents or carers.

Respecting the confidentiality of young individuals is essential, in accordance with GDPR / Data Protection Act requirements. Discussing a young person's trans status with their parents or carers without their prior consent would constitute a breach of confidentiality. Some young members may feel anxious about disclosing their gender identity to their parents or carers (or indeed their fellow players and friends), so it's imperative not to disclose any information without obtaining their explicit consent beforehand. Work with the young player to understand what they would like and how you can support them in their hockey journey.

Parents and carers can be reassured that hockey promotes a zero-tolerance policy towards bullying, discrimination, or harassment of any nature. The confidentiality of the young person is placed at the forefront of our priorities. If the young player is happy to disclose their identity to parents or carers and the club, then they can be reassured that the utmost care and confidentiality will be given to the player whilst the club supports them and make their hockey experience as positive as possible.

If you need any support or guidance on a particular situation, please reach out to your club welfare officer or the England Hockey team at trans.policy@englandhockey.co.uk.

We understand that the changes in this policy may leave some players feeling disheartened by the future of their hockey playing opportunities, but we are committed to supporting each participant to find the right path for them to remain in the hockey community.

England Hockey has developed categories to allow all players to participate in hockey regardless of their sex or gender. We’re committed to remaining inclusive and will ensure we provide opportunities and enjoyment for everyone to participate as a player in the game.

To achieve this in a fair way, we need to create the right conditions for hockey, including the eligibility criteria for different categories, such as the age or experience of players. This has been done with the intention of creating fair and meaningful competition. As a gender-affected sport, this means we have needed to consider the conditions around a Female category. For this category, England Hockey has placed necessary and proportionate restrictions on eligibility, in the spirt of fairness in competition.

The Open category has been developed to ensure there is a space for all players, regardless of gender, sex, age, or ability to continue their hockey participation. Those players recorded male at birth and female at birth can all participate in the Open category. Please note that restrictions do apply on participating in more than one per season. Please see Understanding the Trans and Non-Binary Participation Policy section for more information.

As well as the two playing categories of Female and Open, England Hockey also offers a mixed hockey format of the game. This format consists of a team of 11 players from a squad of 16. At any time during a match a team will consist of a minimum of 5 outfield players recorded female at birth. 

If you need more guidance to support your players in your club to find the right category for them, please reach out to the England Hockey team at trans.policy@englandhockey.co.uk