NATIONAL SCHOLASTIC ATHLETICS FOUNDATION  ELIGIBILITY POLICY FOR THE FEMALE CATEGORY

USA Track & Field (USATF) is a member of World Athletics, the international federation for all track & field, cross country, road running, and race walking. The National Scholastic Athletics Foundation (NSAF) is a member of USA Track & Field, and its events are sanctioned by USA Track & Field. NSAF events include both domestic and international student-athlete participants, and all of its events are complying with the World Athletics Eligibility Regulations for Transgender Athletes, which were updated in March 2025. This updated policy mandates that participation in the female category be limited to those born with female reproductive biology and genetics.  

Confirmation that an athlete qualifies for the female category will be accomplished by, depending on the competitive level of sport (age, regional or international, etc.):

• A copy of an athlete’s original, unaltered / unedited birth certificate; or
• A physician’s verification based on pre-season physicals conducted for school or other like participation and competitions; or
• A signed statement (from the athlete or, in the case of youth, the athlete’s guardian) that the athlete is not misrepresenting her or his birth sex; and, when applicable,
• A biological sample, such as a cheek swab consistent with World Athletics, World Anti-Doping Agency and / or U.S. Anti-Doping Agency rules.
• If despite the procedures above, there is a formal challenge to an athlete’s sex, it shall be resolved with standardized procedures and with a biological sample, such as a cheek swab, a spit test, or dry blood spot test. Results of these biological tests from athletes wishing to compete in the female category, that show an athlete is XY, the male phenotype, should be reported back to the athlete with great sensitivity. Sex verification should never involve physical or genital examinations or verbal challenges by any officials or other personnel outside the formal procedures listed above.

In the rare cases of athletes with disorders of sexual development (DSD athletes), they shall be addressed as follows:

• All athletes with XX chromosomes are eligible to compete in the female category.
• All athletes with XY chromosomes, who have complete androgen insensitivity (CAIS) are eligible to compete in the female category.
• All athletes with XY chromosomes, who have partial androgen insensitivity (PAIS) are not eligible to compete in the female category. 
• All athletes with XY chromosomes, who produce bioavailable testosterone (meaning the testosterone is able to androgenize the body) at male levels (7.7 - 29.4 nm/ml) are not eligible to compete in the female category.