After a period of growth during and after the First World War, including an Anglo-Scottish women's club game at Celtic Park in 1918,[2] men's clubs who were interested in using their grounds for women's football were subsequently denied permission by the Scottish Football Association (SFA) in 1924–25.

[2] Research has shown that clubs such as Rutherglen Ladies played exhibition matches for charity in front of large crowds during the 1920s and '30s.

[15][16] Rutherglen won 2–0 against the famous English women's football team, Dick, Kerr Ladies, in their match at Shawfield Park in September 1923.

[17][5][6] The sport continued on an unofficial basis until 1971, when UEFA instructed its members to take control of women's football within their territories.

[18] In 1971 the Scottish Women's Football Association (SWFA) was founded and six teams registered for competition: Aberdeen, Edinburgh Dynamos, Westthorn United, Motherwell AEI, Dundee Strikers and Stewarton Thistle.

With Scotland having played their first official international match and Scottish teams reaching the final of the English WFA Cup in 1971, 1972 and 1973, the SFA lifted the ban and recognised the SWFA in August 1974.

The pre-2020 third-tier regional divisions under the Scottish Women's Football League became a separate 'Recreational' setup no longer linked by merit to the 'Performance' levels above (although individual clubs can still apply to join the Championship).

Until 2019, reserve and youth squads could compete in the senior pyramid as long as they were not in the same division as the titular club – this was then changed with the introduction of a 'National Performance League' structure for under-16 and under-19 leagues featuring age group teams of the top clubs.

[34] In the 2022 final, Celtic defeated Glasgow City to win the trophy for the first time; Rangers won their first in 2024.

[35] Scotland women's national football team qualified for their first major tournament Euro 2017.