For decades, struggles against patriarchal structures have taken a toll on women’s football. Not too long ago, women weren’t even allowed to play football. While England counts as a pioneer, having legalised women’s football in schools in 1863, women in Austria were not allowed to do so between 1938 and 1970. Even after the ban was lifted, women's football still faces many challenges on the international stage. To this day, it often receives less attention, poorer financial support, and less infrastructural funding compared to men’s football. One issue that receives particularly little attention in women’s football is menstruation.
Unlike training schedules or competition dates, menstruation cannot be controlled, it can start at any time, even during a game. You can never know exactly when your period will start or how heavy it will be. This uncertainty can create additional pressure, which is worsened by the intense physical demands of a football game. When period products reach their limits, this can significantly affect both the well-being and performance of players. Despite its relevance to millions of players worldwide, this topic is rarely openly discussed in football.
Even though there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done, there has been progress in the past years: In 2023, the English national women’s football team decided to stop wearing white shorts, following prompts made by players such as Beth Mead. By doing so, they emphasized that white sportswear causes discomfort during menstruation. While such measures are an important step, they do not address the heart of the problem: Menstruation remains an everyday challenge that has not yet been incorporated into the rules of football.
This is where the “period out” hand signal comes into play. This deliberately visible signal allows players to draw attention to their needs during a game and to make the often-taboo subject of menstruation visible. It is a step towards greater openness and understanding in football, for professionals as well as for the many women and girls who are passionate about the sport.
Women in football deserve not only equal rights and recognition, but also solutions that focus on their specific needs. Football must become a truly fair and accessible sport for everyone, and the time to act is now.
Translated from German by Flora Neubert