Elizabeth Eddy’s Call for Gender Clarity Sparks Debate in the NWSL
The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has quietly gone more than three years without a formal gender eligibility policy. For a while, that silence might have seemed harmless — maybe even a sign of neutrality or openness. But recently, it has become a flashpoint, especially after Angel City FC defender Elizabeth Eddy stepped forward to publicly call for what she described as “a clear standard” for who can compete in the league.
Eddy, a veteran player with over a decade in the NWSL, published an op-ed in the New York Post urging the league to define its gender eligibility rules. In her piece, she suggested that players should either be born with ovaries or undergo genetic testing — specifically an SRY gene test — to confirm eligibility. Her argument centered on preserving what she called “fairness and integrity” in women’s sports, citing recent controversies in track, swimming, and other disciplines involving transgender and intersex athletes.
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While Eddy’s column was positioned as a call for fairness, it quickly drew intense backlash from within the soccer community. Critics described her language as exclusionary and dehumanizing, pointing out that no transgender players are currently in the NWSL and that no such eligibility issues have ever occurred. Figures from across the league, including team officials and supporter groups, were quick to respond, emphasizing inclusion over restriction. Orlando Pride sporting director Haley Carter wrote that women’s soccer “doesn’t need gatekeepers — it needs champions and advocates.”
The league itself issued a careful statement, saying it remains committed to working with the NWSL Players Association (NWSLPA) on any policy changes. Both the league and the NWSLPA emphasized that any decision must be made collectively and transparently, keeping players’ voices at the center. However, many felt that the statement sidestepped the issue — offering no firm stance, and leaving room for continued debate.
This silence, critics argue, is exactly what creates the space for harassment and misinformation. The Athletic’s reporting pointed out that the absence of policy has already made some players — particularly Black and queer athletes — targets of online abuse. The controversy also reignited conversations around Barbra Banda, an Orlando Pride forward who faced baseless harassment earlier this year over supposed “gender eligibility” issues that never existed.
Eddy defended her perspective as being about protecting women’s sports, not excluding anyone. But her proposed solutions — biological testing and eligibility restrictions — echo the more rigid policies adopted by organizations like World Athletics and the English FA, both of which have been heavily criticized by advocacy groups for limiting inclusion.
For now, the NWSL stands at a crossroads. Its commissioner, Jessica Berman, has spoken about “living by the league’s values,” but those values remain vaguely defined. As the debate unfolds, one thing is clear: the absence of policy has become its own kind of statement. Whether the league chooses to define its stance soon — and how it does so — could shape the future of inclusivity and fairness in women’s soccer for years to come.
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