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Objectives: This study prospectively investigated injury prevalence, incidence, and burden in male elite under-17 football players ( N  = 223 ) during a full season., Methods: The players weekly completed a standardized web-based injury survey (OSTRC-H2) and a physical exposure report throughout the study., Results: Average weekly response rate was 89.5%. Football exposure accounted for 52.4% of total physical exposure. On average (±SD), the players participated in individual football, strength, and rehabilitation practices for 1.2 ± 1.5, 3.0 ± .2.1, and 1.9 ± 3.4 h/week, respectively. In total, 742 health problems were reported. Mean weekly prevalence of health problems, injuries and illnesses were 20.1%, 16.5% and 3.8%, respectively. The injury incidence per 1,000 h of football exposure, match play and team practice were 8.28 (95% CI: 7.54-9.08), 16.77 (95% CI: 13.65-20.4), and 7.24 (95% CI: 6.5-8.04), respectively. Sudden-onset and gradual-onset injuries accounted for 36.7% and 43.4% of the total proportion of health problems. Hip/groin injuries had the highest incidence (1.58/1,000 h), whereas knee injuries had the highest burden (20.86 days lost/1,000 h). On average, the players experienced 3.33 health problems (average duration: 7.8 days). On average pr. player, 2.7 (95% CI: 2.2-3.3) wks of football exposure were lost., Conclusion: Sudden and gradual-onset injuries influenced player availability during the season. Health problem prevalence fluctuated markedly, and injury incidence was higher during match play than training. The players had substantial volumes of training beyond football-specific training and matches. Our findings could assist medical and sports science practitioneers in enhancing training and recovery processes to maximize player availability., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2023 Andersen, Drevsfeldt, Möller and Møller.)

Aim: To study differences in total load exposure, wellness, and psychological variables in youth female ( N  = 19) and male ( N  = 20) national team football players during domestic and international playing periods, respectively., Procedures: The players filled out questionnaires on well-being, stress, and resilience before and after both playing periods lasting 8 days each. The Hooper index was used to monitor daily wellness levels during both playing periods. The number of training sessions and matches were recorded, and the session rating of perceived exertion was collected. Training load, monotony, and strain were calculated. Daily measurements were used to evaluate in-period changes, and composite scores were used to describe differences between periods., Results: The international compared to the domestic playing period was for both groups characterized by more matches played, longer field training session durations, and of fewer gym-based sessions ( P  < 0.05). The male players increased total exposure time (25%; P  < 0.05), monotony ( P  < 0.001), and strain ( P  < 0.001), which was not changed in the female players. Well-being decreased ( P  < 0.05) during the international playing period in male players. Stress levels were higher ( P  < 0.05) for both genders during the international compared to the domestic playing period. During the international playing period, positive correlations were found between the initial levels of stress, and the change in stress ( P  = 0.03; r 2  = 0.12), and between the changes in total load and changes in well-being ( P  = 0.02; r 2  = 0.12), whereas a negative correlation was found between the changes in wellness and stress ( P  = 0.03; r 2  = 0.14)., Conclusion: A playing period characterized by increased match focus, longer field training sessions, and fewer gym-based training activities may lead to changes in the physical and mental profiles of youth national team football players. Alterations to load exposure and wellness may influence mental health. Players with high initial stress levels may be subjected to greater changes compared to other players. Sports scientists and medical staff may benefit from initiating structured monitoring systems to track alterations in physical load and mental health in youth national team players., Competing Interests: TA, EM, and CL were employed at the Danish Football Association during the data collection period. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2023 Andersen, Kästner, Arvig, Larsen and Madsen.)