A second teenage footballer has been handed a six-match ban for asking whether adult transgender opponents she was playing were men.

An 18-year-old, whom Telegraph Sport has been told has both ADHD and learning difficulties, was sanctioned by a National Serious Case Panel in a case with parallels to that for which a 17-year-old girl with suspected autism was handed a similar suspension.

The second teen was charged by her county FA over comments she made to a referee during a match in September, the same month she turned 18. It was alleged she said: “Ref, have you checked if all of their players are eligible to play? Look at their ’keeper and for example their number 10 is obviously a man,” or something similar.

She was banned for six matches, two of which were suspended, after accepting the charge brought under national Football Association rules that allow those born male to play in women’s matches. The teen was also forced to undergo an “online education course”, while her club were handed seven disciplinary points.

An investigation into her comments required her to provide a written statement, which Telegraph Sport has been told she needed assistance in composing. In it she said she had sought guidance from the referee due to her trans opponents’ “extremely aggressive” style of play. She also said she had not taken her ADHD medication on the day in question because “another medical condition” had prevented her from doing so.

Referee threatened red card if complaints persisted

The disciplinary proceedings were triggered by a complaint made by the opposition club, which included the claim that she had said to their non-trans players: “This is a man.” She has admitted trying to ask those players if their team-mates were biologically male after failing to get clarity from the ref, who, she wrote in her statement, had threatened to send her off if she continued to quiz him on the matter.

Speaking to Telegraph Sport on condition of anonymity, the teenager said of her ban: “It kind of made me hate football.”

She also said she feared she had been gagged from asking questions or raising concerns about playing against those born male. “If I say anything else, I get another six-game ban,” she said. “So I can’t even stand up for myself at this point.”

The teen’s case has come to light three months after Telegraph Sport revealed a 17-year-old with suspected autism was facing a ban of up to 12 matches for asking an adult transgender opponent: “Are you a man?” She denied a discrimination charge but was banned for six games in November, four of them suspended.

The outcome was condemned in the House of Lords in November by former FA chairman Lord Triesman, who wrote to the FA about it and was invited to meet its leaders to discuss his concerns. It also sparked protests by campaigners outside England men’s and women’s matches at Wembley and Bramall Lane.

As with the ban imposed on the 17-year-old, the written reasons for the punishment imposed on the other teen have not been made public, even in a redacted form.

‘It’s disgraceful another teenage girl has been suspended’

Fiona McAnena, director of campaigns at Sex Matters, said: “It’s disgraceful that another teenage girl has been suspended for daring to challenge the presence of a male player in a women’s game. The FA has punished her for asking a question that matters for her own safety, and for fairness for all girls. Sending her for mandatory ‘re-education’ won’t solve this.

“How many other cases are there like this? How long can the FA continue to claim that there is no problem? How can the FA say it supports the women’s game when girls are being suspended for pointing out there is a man on the pitch?

“Many sports have waited until a man is about to hit the big time in the women’s game before acting to protect the female category. A cynic might speculate that we won’t see fairness in football until a male player demands his place in the Lionesses.”

An FA spokesperson said: “This case was heard by an independent National Serious Case Panel in November 2024, and they issued a sanction for a breach of FA rules. The charges were immediately accepted by the player and the outcome was the minimum sanction that could be issued for a case of this nature. The player did not appeal the sanction.

“In order to protect the players involved, and to respect the confidential details included, we are not in a position to publish the written reasons of this case. We have previously said that cases of this nature are complex and that the information in the public domain is very limited, often to protect the individuals involved.

“We regularly review our processes in this area and we will always look to take the appropriate steps to challenge improper conduct in our game.”

Just over a year ago, 48 MPs and 27 peers signed a letter urging the FA to change its trans rules to “protect women and girls” in football. Its trans policy has long been under review but it has been waiting for Fifa and Uefa to complete reviews of their own policies before amending its own.