Since the expansion of the women's game in the late 80s and early 90s there has been a lot of discussion concerning whether women should be allowed to play professionally alongside men. In 2003, Italian Serie A side Perugia were on the hunt for a female footballer to play in their squad. Their President Luciano Gaucci declared that 'women have the same rights as men' and he's hunting across Europe for a suitable female player to sign on...

Gaucci said: "Within six months we'll have a woman playing in Perugia's red strip."

"I'm convinced that Perugia can become the first club on the planet to play a woman with men in the first division.

"It's not forbidden in the rules, which only mention men playing in women's teams."

Gaucci made a move for Sweden's Hanna Ljungberg and Victoria Svensson, and they both rejected him.

However, a female footballer could not currently compete in the Premiership or Football League here in the UK. In England, The Football Association rules state that mixed gender football teams are not allowed from the age of 12. This rule is in place both to protect players because of the difference in physiological make-up between men and women, and to help develop the women's game in England in its own right.

In December last year, FIFA blocked a move allowing a Mexican female international to player in a professional men's team:

FIFA have put a stop to Maribel Dominguez playing for a Mexican professional men's team.

Division 2 club Celaya secured the star striker's signature last week but FIFA have ruled that she is not eligible to play for a men's team, on account of her not being a man.

Obviously, in games like Rugby and American Football it would be extremely dangerous for female players to play alongside men at the professional level. In badminton and and other sports however, the men and women play alongside eachother. Do you think this should be allowed in football? What consequences might occur as a result?

I think it should be allowed. Some women might want to play with the guys. It's not like they will get hurt just by playing with the men. I've been playing soccer for about 10 years and every year I have to play with the guys, sure they have made coments like, "If a girl scores I'll shave my head", "Here comes the girls", and that kind of stuff like they are better than us, but I've gotten used to it. So let the women play with the men.

I agree it is freedom of choice, although I do think you have to be more vigilante when mixing up males and females, for example women are without pre-judging anyone weaker than men, thats not sexist it is true. So with this I don't think you can say to Kelly Smith or Unitt go and play with Henry, Rooney, Nistelrooy, but it would be a little harsh putting them in a lower league as it may semm prejudice and sexist.

I think the most talented women players would actually have more success in the higher level of the men's game, where more emphasis is skill and tactics rather than strength and agression. In the lower leagues, their physiques would hinder their success. In the higher level play, they could use their undoubted skills and talent to unload their potential.

sure women could play with the guyz if they want to but it shouldn't be allowed. women should be protected. now now, before you're all over me about how sexist i am consider this....

canada is one of the best women's sides out there and also has one of the worst men's sides. i saw highlights of a match between the FULL canadian team and U16 ONTARIO boys on direct kicks. the women lost 4-0. if they can't beat under 16 little boys from a country where men's footy is one of the worst in the world how can they be expected to compete with full men's teams in europe? or even america?

i see no reason why they CANT, but i know if i was manager i wouldnt sign them

also, theres the whole 'birds and the bees' thing between teammates

If they will allow women to join men's leagues, then why wouldn't men be alloed to join women's leagues?

I wouldn't mind it. I just understand why people thinkit is sexist that women can't play with men. Do the women allow men to play in their team? In my eyes that is sexist as well.

So if they are going to let women play in the mens league, then men should also have the freedom of choice to join the women's league, right? That would be the only fair thing to do.

If you want to have women be allowed to join men's leagues, then you should allow men to join women's leagues.

If you aren't prepared to do this, then have a women's league and a men's league.

never going to happen imo. women couldn't do shite in men's leagues and men would all be gods in women's leagues (no offense but true).

Not necessarily. I agree it doesn't look like something that will happen anytime soon, but there is no guarantee that the women would be shite and that the men would be "gods." There are, after all, exceptions to almost every rule. Sorry, but the feminist in me took offense at that statement.

did you not read my last post? i saw some of the best women's players in the world absolutely humiliated and demolished and pulverized to the floor by little boys under the age of 16. if that is not proof to anybody than nothing will. that is good enough for me to make such statements and please don't let the feminist in u to take offense in it because ... ummm... well..... what would YOU make of that?

Keep it calm folks.

Ok, moderator duties out of the way.

Personally, I feel that there is no problem in allowing it, but I do not see it as likely that any woman could compete at the top level because men are simply faster. Speed & strength are VERY important. Otherwise, why would older players be forced out of the game??

Further, watch a men's game and watch a women's game (olympics for example) and it is VERY noticeable that the women play at a slower pace.

Don't get me wrong, I play a weekly pickup game during the winter and we have one woman that comes. She is MUCH better than me at dribbling. She does very well with us and we all play at a fairly decent level. However, we also play 5v5 and it is on a single basketball court, so the advantage of speed is limited. This is part of why she does well. Put the same players in 11 v 11 outdoor and she would not be nearly as effective.

So, I think at lower levels (below "premiere" leagues), this could actually occur...but I don't see it ever happening at the top level.

my rezun would sound a bit far off but if u think a bout it makes sense

i dont think the women shud be allowed to play proffesionally with men bcoz there are only 16 players (including subs ) in pro teams.so if we also have women then that means only 8 are guys(if they're equal, which im prretty sure the females WILL demand if they get into the mens team)
so chances of guys becoming pro are even less(im toking seats/places) , bcoz even if they are gud enuff there's no way that theey can make it or that any1 can decide the best 8. this will lead to a lot of waste in real talent if u take into account all the great teams in the world.

other than this point are of course the others that have alerady bin posted(speed,skill etc.)

I know exactly what you're talking about (that Canada game), and I wish I could find the information about it right now but from what I know about it, it was NOT their full team.

From a women's prespective here.... although I feel that women TRAINING with men is very beneficial, it's just generally well understood that physically we aren't as strong as them. Whether SKILL wise we match up doesn't seem to matter because they will be faster and stronger - it's just how the male and female bodies work.

the best women team in the world, with all due respect, couldnt beat the U17 Mexico side.

I suppose theres no reason not to but then ther will be stupid rules like a side must have 4 women in a starting line up which would be rediculouse.

It should be up to the Club and Manager if they even want to sign a women so i rekon they wouldnt even buy 1 if they were eventualy aloud to in the first place as they have the option of a better male player almost all the time.

Just my thoughts.

Cos i would choose an 18yo guy like Fabregas every time over the best women player ( no effence intended but purely because of the potential physique) Even if there skill was the same.

No need to get upset. I don't doubt the facts at all. I just didn't like the way you phrased it. As in the men would be "gods." I didn't mean to offend you.

Women playing the men...........Whats next? Allow them to vote?

100 years ago the idea of giving women the vote would have got a similar kind of reaction as we get today from the idea of women playing football with the men. In another 100 years, who knows where we could be. Women could be accepted into football just as they were accepted to vote. It may not be a big deal at all.

that is totally different. voting is... well... voting and footy is footy. we don't need women struggling to get a touch out on the field and getting molested in the dressing rooms.

lol...sounds like a english man.

I used the word could, I try to take all possibilities into account. Only a fool would eject an idea such as this hands down, you never know what may happen in the future. Although I think combining women's and men's leagues is doubtful, it a is a possibility and when there is a chance I leave it open to all eventualities.

i think its fairly obvious to anyone that has ever seen a game of womens football that they are quite far behind

no need to call me a fool, my opinion m8

haha, yeah sorry mate but that wasn't directed at you particularly

I'm happy for everyone one to cast opinons, that was just mine. No hard feelings

I agree and disagree with that. It's obvious that the games are very different, though I think it's due to the simple fact that men and women are different physically and that will probably always be true. I agree with the general thought that men and women shouldn't be playing together because it's quite obvious that, for the above reason, it would be MUCH more difficult. This is coming from a woman's point of view too by the way.



Hope you were kidding...

My sentiments exactly .

People generally tend to get overawed by the feminist sentiments of equal rights etc but that really cant be applied to sport .

Women should not be allowed to play with men for many reasons .

One reason that would be more than enough is sheer strength .

The tackle that ensured a Ronaldo had to sit out for a month(actually there is no guarantee when he will be back becoz he still hasnt recuperated) will put a girl out for a year .

PS - i have played with many women and i must admit some of them play much much much better footie than me .

But thats the case with amatuer football .

In professional football , its an entirely different ball game .

I think the whole idea of women playing in a mans league is fuccing ridiculouse. It would ruin the game. That does not make sense, and if you allowed women in mens leaugue, than men should be allowed to play in womens leaugue right..... If that is the case, than lets just abolish womens and mens league and just make one where both play.
I would hate it if it happenned and would stop watching the sport.
I played with girls before, and its cool if its just for fun. But in a real game I would hate to play with a woman. Because I would not want to hurt her I would not play as rough as I would with a guy. I couldn't tackle a girl as I would a guy. I would not slide as often, I'd be more cautious because I wouldn't want to hurt her. I couldn't play my all, many men who play would'nt play their all, the game would suffer. Men and women, we are not the same, we were created different and theirfore are different. A women, if she wants can lift weights, take protein shakes, become a body builder and destroy her body by getting it all muscled up, but she was a born a woman and will always be a woman, no matter what. That will not change. Imagine the best footballer on Earth, (Ronaldo or the such) against the best woman footballer (Mia Hamm) their is no comparison. With race, seperate but equal was wrong, for their is no difference between a black and white man save the skin color But with man and woman, seperate but equal is right, because we are seperate. Mens leaugue for men, womens leaugue for women, lets keep it that way. Even in basketball it would not do to mix the sexes up, and thats a more wimpified sport.

I hate to sound sexist, but I totally agree with the poster above me, What the hell, in the U.S. whenever kids sign up for soccer, there is a both girl and boy soccer league, or only girl soccer league, what the hell is that about, where is the all-boy league. It really is starting to piss me off, the way some americans think of soccer, and I said SOME so don't make me sound all biased because you all know this is true, I am against play competitive against women, but if its just fooling around so you can grab some ass while you are "defending" then that's cool with me

But never on professional level

If female players have quality as male players. but only if they have quality.

I know female players have physical disadvantage than male players, but who knows. Cannavaro is much better than Huth eventhough Huth has much better physical ability.

but I will be mad if clubs sign female players for selling shirts.

True but that is a comparison between males, cannavaro would still have a very big physical advantage over a female. Even a little guy like Robinho would be considered one of the strongest physical players in a women's league.

You must be quite young then, because from what I know (and it's the same up here in Ontario, Canada) yeah, they do have co-ed soccer at YOUNG ages, mainly because when you're that young you're basically physically the same (size-wise) until puberty. Infact, I know of a girl (who went to the Canadian national team actually) who was the captain of an under-13 boys team (maybe it was u16?? I forget) and she just dominated the play.

Nope Im not that young all I can say is that im over 15 and Im not saying more about my age lol but Ive seen my friends' bro sign up sheet

there is no point to let women play with men, as they aren't good enough. sorry to say, but it's true.

two years ago my team, which was u15 at that time, played against the best senior women squad in norway. we won 10-0, and could have won more. mind that norway is one of the best national teams in the world on the women side. and the team we played against had several players who also play at the national team.

this should illustrate the differences between mens and womens soccer. sorry to break it this way

I do agree with your general thought on women shouldn't play with men, but you're story about the u15 team seems highly far-fetched. I doubt it was the best senior women's squad at all.

Avramov7... I don't know where you're from (and i'm not asking), but there are all-boys teams. This site even shows it; http://www.nationalsoccerranking.com/. They go down to BU11.

I am from Bulgaria but I live in the United States, and here football is considered more of a girl sport! It drives me crazy!! They are all boys teams, but I mean in the public ones , as my friend's bro .. sucks, there are no all boys.

I'm American and things r not all that bad. Sure, their is a certain group of Americans whom have a seething hatred toward the real football, but that has not stopped the US from establishing male only leagues. I know for a certainty that in any city in the United States of America they have boys only leauges for at the minimum 12 years of age and up. Both local indoor footballsoccer place's around my house has 2 divisions of mens leauges and 1 division of coed. They lack a women only. All highschools have established distinct leagues for the sexes, one for the males and the other for the females. Football in the US, with all the hatred it receives from "rabbidogg EDIT:" some US citizens and lack of media coverage is still the most played sport of America's youth, for both boys and girls.

The area highlighted interests me in two ways:

1. I had no idea that football (and I assume you mean European football/soccer/Association Football) was the most popular played sport in the youth of the US, do you have any figures to back this up or just an opinion?

2. Please don't segregate groups and verbally assault them. This is a verbal warning.

sorry about that, did not not mean to offend anybody, that generalization was more said because of a recent show on adult swim, somewhat funny I suppose, entitled squidbillies, they had a joke about that 'group' demeaning the sport which I was speaking of, which I usually call football or in this case, to avoid confusion, soccer When I was posting it just came to mind, no one actually claims themselves to be r_dne_ks, and the term r_dne_k is not usually deemed offensive, or at least I could always say it while in class at school, that is why I said it. If I offended anybody sorry, did not mean to.

http://www.usyouthsoccer.org
The largest youth sports organization in the country. (The USA)
In the US, 18 million children between the ages of 5 and 19, more or less, participate regurlary in the sport of soccer
A quote from their website.... In fact, [in the USA] more children participate in organized soccer than in any other youth sport.

I got that by doing a quick google. When I made my boastful claim though, I was basing my information on a more thourough article, but it was over six months ago and I don't remember exactly where it was that I obtained it. I think it was in an issue of the NY Times, or perhaps in a mothly installment of GQ or Esquire, i remember thinking it reliable. What I do recall reading however was that after basketball 'soccer' was the most played sport in the US. And that sometime in the 90's it firmly established itself as the most played at the organized youth level.

no, mate, it's the truth. we played against Asker which won the norwegian cup this year! you want any proof, you can call them. i'll give you the nummer if you want it

Clarifications regarding America .

Yes , in America the sports that get coverage are baseball , American footballl and basketball .

But thats becoz America has an economy that thrives on advertisements .

and such sports have immense potential for that .

Yes in America , one does hear bullshit comments like 'Soccer is too girly blah blah blah '

But the fact is , i dont see any of these girly comment makers playing their version of football .

I see those very people playing the real football .

In America , people MAY play basketball more than football(primarily becoz it is an indoor sport) but if we are comparing football to American football or Baseball - trust me football rules supreme .

Its just that people dont want to admit it , becoz they are used to calling American football the real football

That is very true women just aren't good enough to play along side men and even if they were there would be problems with sexual harassment and men not trying their hardest against women.

Umea IK played a U15 team and lost 4-0......

its too hard for women to play against men, much more men play so the leading male players are a lot more skillful, and also physically they are disadvantaged and also chesting ability

People in the South are rednecks and proud of it. I doubt you'd offend any real southerners, unless you're associating being a redneck with being stupid or something.

I also think that women couldn't keep up with the men physiologically. Only the very top women could even think about trying to play in a men's league. This would mean that they are no longer top players it would also drain the women's leagues, which struggle too much already. I think the only feasable way to have men and women playing together would be to create a third co-ed league, which I don't expect to see.
As a women I think that lower level and training mixing would be fine but that keeping the higher men's leagues for themselves is better.

i say if women play football with men, they are gonna get touched their asses off. okay maybe not..but in a sense the team with the women would have an advantage, since guys wld be afraid of touching them anyway.

haven't watched women's football before, but i bet that the reason for men's and women's leagues being seperated is the same as why the other sports all have seperate leagues. standards are too different, and u cant compare the women and the men. a woman hailed by all women to be the best is a woman who has broken the limits of that belonging to women.

Excellent post flp, I fully agree agree with you that even if a women was technically sound enough to compete with the men, it still would not work due to basic physiological differences.

LOL! That was great!!
I don't think women should play with men. It's way more aggressive and faster with men.
I've played against women and I unconsciously bring down my game. I have to watch out and not go all out and I think the same would happen to others. Just imagine Materazzi going against Heather Mitts... Or do you think Gattuso would feel right about tackling a woman?? And if some crazy challenge, like when Cannavaro laid Henry down at the WC final was to happen... Cannavaro would be crucified! Can you imagine him knocking the shit out of a woman?????