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The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) has banning transgender women from competing in women鈥檚 snooker tournaments, effective immediately.

Under the updated rules, eligibility for women鈥檚 events is now restricted to players “assigned female at birth”. Transgender women and non-binary players are still permitted to compete in 鈥渙pen鈥� competitions, which the governing body says are available to all regardless of gender identity. The WPBSA said the change is intended to 鈥減rotect the integrity of the women鈥檚 game,鈥� classifying snooker as a 鈥済ender-affected鈥� sport.

Arguments supporting bans on transgender women in women鈥檚 sport typically claim that physiological differences linked to “male puberty” can result in retained advantages in strength, size, or endurance, even after hormone therapy. While this line of argument has been , it’s hard to understand what innate advantages trans people could have at snooker.

鈥淥ur position has always been that the policy would be subject to immediate review should there be future ratified research findings or changes in guidance from appropriate sources,” wrote the

鈥淭hese cases and the studies relied upon as evidence have changed the landscape leading to the review,” the added, referring to the UK Supreme Court Ruling in April 2025 and the subsequent case of pool player Harriet Haynes and the English Blackball Federation in August 2025.

The policy also outlines new guidance for trans men. 鈥淎 trans man player who does not use testosterone as part of male gender-affirming treatment鈥� can compete in open and/or women鈥檚 tournaments.

Critics have been quick to condemn the move. LGBTQIA+ advocacy groups including Stonewall UK and GLAAD have spoken out against the policy, arguing it is 鈥渄eeply exclusionary鈥� and unsupported by clear evidence of competitive advantage in snooker. Stonewall said the ban 鈥渇urther marginalises transgender women and ignores their rights to participate in sports,鈥� while GLAAD called for policies that better balance fairness with inclusion.

Harriet Haynes has taken to social media,聽 describing the policy as disappointing but not unexpected. “Transgender women like me want to play the sport we love without barriers.”