Small country – big results: Women's football in Norway

Abstract

The study opens with a description of the development of women's football in Norway. It can be traced back to the beginning of the twentieth century, but it was only in 1975 when the Norwegian Football Association formally recognized it. Prior to 1975, the pioneers of women's football struggled hard to get women's football accepted. Today, women's football is the most popular sport for girls and women in Norway, in spite of the fact that it is still regarded as a masculine sport. The reasons for the enormous increase in female football players are discussed. One major factor seems to be the work of a women's committee appointed by the Football Association when women's football was first accepted in the middle of the 1970s. For the Committee, the education and promotion of female leaders, coaches and referees, as well as the need to increase the number of players, were important. The essay concludes with results from a study about the experiences and the meaning of football in the lives of Norwegian female football players of today.