England is playing host to the Women's Euro 2005 tournament

Dr Jean Williams, a UEFA coach, says female players face embedded inequality as contact sports are exempt from equal opportunities legislation.

The De Montfort University lecturer wants sports chiefs to look at the rules which restrict women from playing in the top professional leagues.

FA regulations segregate male and female players from the age of 12.

The problem of deeply embedded inequality is encapsulated by the use of the very term 'women's football' Dr Jean Williams, De Montfort University

Dr Williams, a UEFA-certified coach and former player, said: "Why shouldn't women be allowed to compete at the highest level?

"I think that goes across all sports and not just football.

"I think we need to look at equal opportunities law to review whether women should be allowed to compete at the highest level."

She will give a keynote speech about women in football at an international conference on Monday, timed to coincide with the current Uefa Women's Football Tournament being held in England.

'Passionate views'

"The problem of deeply embedded inequality is encapsulated by the use of the very term 'women's football'," she said.

"There are formal and informal systems discriminating against women that have been developed over the last century and these must be dismantled if the sport is really to be advanced.

"Football seems to have engaged passionate views about whether women can, may and ought to play for a relatively long time and most people will have an opinion, specialist or not."

She will speaking at The International Football Institute Conference 2005: Women, Football and Europe at the University of Lancashire.

Should men and women play football together at the highest level? Or is this a step too far for sexual equality? Are you a footballer, if so how would it affect your team?

This debate is now closed. Thank you for your comments.

I recently signed for and promptly left a US Co-ed team in a Co-ed league (mixed male and female). The reason I left? I threw in a Gerrard style tackle in midfield and was booed when the player went down. I didn't realise until after the tackle that it was a woman I sent flying. She was unable to continue and I was booed for the rest of the match. Sorry people, but women physically cannot play football at the highest level.
Craig, Liverpool, Living in the USA

Woman can't compete on an equal field where strength is required James Bateman, High Wycombe

When the Williams sisters were at 1 and 2 in the world, I remember listening to a programme where McEnroe was asked where they would be ranked in the men's table. I was shocked when he said around position 100. Woman can't compete on an equal field where strength is required. However they should compete in things like snooker and darts. (Paula Radcliffe is the one exception.)
James Bateman, High Wycombe

Including women does not work, I've played in mixed sides and the women either get hurt or more usually, the men pull out of tackles and don't play their normal game. Either way it messes the game up.
Jez, Blackpool

Clearly women will fail to match men at the highest level in soccer, just as they cannot match them in tennis. Why do men have to play five sets of tennis while women only play three? Yet the women now earn as much prize money as the men in tennis. Surely the men should be demanding equality, by playing fewer sets or getting more money for playing more tennis.
James Green

Yet another example of Political Correctness gone mad. I take it all sports would include boxing. The only people that would benefit would be the world's lawyers, as they line up to take on the ensuing claims of neglect and blame that any sensible person can see would ensue from allowing both sexes to compete in physical contact sports.
H Morrison, Lincoln

Women are not yet ready for football at the top level. Their skill levels can be quite high but they cannot compete with the men. I notice that most of those saying yes are from North America where soccer is viewed as a kid's/women's game. I don't think many women would survive a Roy Keane tackle.
Mark, Grangemouth

I can see it now. In a few years there will be legislation making it illegal for any football team to have less than 50% women, and what about disabled people?
Clive Webster, St Helens, UK

Why not start with snooker and darts? G Parker, Auckland, New Zealand

Why not start with snooker and darts? There isn't much physical difference in these sports. But playing against men in football, I don't think so. If football, why not go the whole way and extend this to rugby!
G Parker, Auckland, New Zealand

Are we all going mad? What next, mixed rugby? If they want true equality lets remove gender from every piece of legislation that has been put in place to protect women. Men and women are different, let's celebrate the difference.
Stuart, Milton Keynes

While the men's game is full of girls rolling around every time they are tackled, there is no doubt in my mind that it would destroy football once and for all. I enjoyed watching the girls footy, and their game will evolve quite possibly into a more competitive but less cynical way. Sometimes I think we should celebrate the differences instead of all trying to be the same.
Ian Francis, Aldershot, England

Why is it automatically assumed that the men's level is the highest level? They're the ones that get the most publicity, sure, but that doesn't mean they play at a higher level than the women.
Catrin, Bristol

Having watched some of the European Championships, I've been really impressed with the technical ability of the women footballers, but let's be honest, the vast majority of men's Sunday league teams would hammer the women's national side. Women competing at the highest level will never happen for the simple reason that they physically would not be able to cope, nothing to do with ability.
Paul, Newcastle

If they want to play, let them play Clive Langley, Vista , CA, USA

I referee youth games that have both girls and boys. The boys are obviously stronger but the girls get stuck in. If they want to play, let them play.
Clive Langley, Vista , CA, USA

You can allow women to play in the same teams but I can think of no manager who would realistically choose a woman to play in their team because despite the fact they are able to demonstrate adequate levels of skill, they're physically not up to competing with men at the highest level. End of story.
Chris McNicholas, London, England

As long as the same skills are needed for both men and women, what's the problem if a woman makes the grade above a man? Surely if you support the team, you want it to have the best players? The only sport I ever did well at was fencing, and the best fencer in our school team happened to also be female. Sex was not in question - we just wanted to field the best team we could.
Flash Wilson, London, UK

Yes, of course women should be allowed to play at the highest level with men, equality is a fundamental right. I would however, be extremely surprised if any woman ever actually succeeded at the highest level. Technically, woman could be as good as men, however, let us not forget the physical differences between men and women. Consider the amount of heavy tackles and physical play - I am not sure that a woman would survive long at the top. Golf is one thing, football is another. All the legislation in the world won't change that!
Aidan, Quebec city, Canada

I am going to be shouted at for this but, did anyone see the woman's Euro Championship? I did and to be honest, although the games were fun to watch and the players did have talent it just wasn't at the same level as the male pro game. Even if the game becomes mixed, at the top flight its going to be very tough for a woman to compete with the likes of the top flight. Any woman I have seen playing football could run rings around me, however, I do not play a premiere league.
David, Durham, UK

If they're good enough they'll play and it will enhance the game; if they're not then it won't make any difference Dan Tilles, Krakow, Poland

Why not let women play? People say they wouldn't be good enough but if that is true then they wouldn't get in the team so at least let them try. If they're good enough they'll play and it will enhance the game; if they're not then it won't make any difference.
Dan Tilles, Krakow, Poland

This could prove to be highly detrimental to women's soccer, as with any other sport, as men will also expect, rightly, to be able to play in women's teams. This will in effect reduce the number of women reaching the top teams
Nev Rowbottom, Hong Kong

I don't think men and women should play in the same team together as I fell that this would drag down women's football. Men are highly competitive, as are women, but I honestly cannot imagine a man passing a ball to a woman. This is from experience of watching under-12 football. Boys pass to boys and ignore girls, even if this means conceding goal opportunities. It's the same in all sports. Until the general male attitude toward women in sport changes, it would be best to keep them apart. Women's football needs a higher profile as a sport in its own right.
Sandra Hodge, St Austell, UK

Yes, women should be allowed to compete with men for a place on a football team. There are many talented players on the women's football teams that could make the grade.
Peter Hale, Clearwater, USA