Elite Youth Football Research Articles

Effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on recovery after a football match in young players: a double-blind randomized controlled trial

IntroductionFootball is a physically demanding sport that requires effective recovery strategies to maintain performance level and prevent injuries. This study investigated if a single 1-h hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) session affects recovery and performance after a football match in elite youth players.MethodsTwenty elite youth football players (age 17.3 ± 0.5 years) were randomly assigned to a HBOT group or a control group (CON). They played a 90-min football game and underwent either a 60-min HBOT or placebo intervention. Before (T1), at the end of the match (T2), 1 h after HBOT or CON session (T3), and 12 h after HBOT session (T4), subjects underwent biochemical (serum samples (myoglobin (MB), creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST)) and performance measurements (linear speed at 5 m, 10 m and 20 m, squat jump (SJ), countermovement jump (CMJ) and countermovement jump with arm swing (CMJa)). The Hooper Index (HI) was collected and heart rate was measured during the game.ResultsThe football match induced significant increases in all biochemical markers, but no significant differences were found between the HBOT and control group in biochemical or performance parameters at any time point. However, there was a significant interaction effect between time and group for HI (p = 0.012, η2 = 0.124), with the HBOT group showing significantly lower HI values (8.6 ± 2.41) than the control group (11.0 ± 3.23) at 1 h post-HBOT.DiscussionA single 1-h session of HBOT did not significantly affect recovery or performance parameters in elite youth football players, though it did show a moderate positive affect on the HI at 1 h post-HBOT. Further studies should explore the impact of either longer or sequential HBOT sessions on recovery.

External Load of Different Length Microcycles and Relationships with Match Running Performance in Youth Football

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate: a) the differences in external load (EL) during microcycles with four (MIC4) and five training (MIC5) sessions, b) to explore the ratio of weekly training load to the load of the subsequent match, and c) to explore possible correlations between the EL of the MIC4 or MIC5 with the running performance of football players in the following match. The study involved 20 elite youth football players from a team that won the championship in their category that year (age, 16.4 ± 0.3 years). The EL was tracked via GPS in 8 MIC4 and 10 MIC5. Running performance in subsequent matches was also recorded. Two by two ANOVA was employed to compare parameters between MIC5 and MIC4 and Pearson correlation test was applied to examine potential correlations between the training load parameters. The results showed that MIC5 had significantly greater external load in distance parameters in zones 4 & 5, total distance, and decelerations. Differences in running performance in matches were observed only for accelerations (p = .028) and decelerations (p = .02). The ratio of training/match load was lower in all parameters in MIC4 compared to MIC5 but exceeded the match load. Large negative correlations were observed for accelerations and decelerations. In conclusion, additional training in MIC5 increases the load without affecting running performance in the match. Attention should be given to accelerations and decelerations, as their volume can easily increase with the use of small-sided games in training.

Assessment of Nutritional Knowledge, Alcohol and Tobacco Consumption in Amateur and Elite Youth Football Players

Introduction: Nutrition is increasingly recognized as a key component of optimal sports performance. On the other hand, insufficient and continuous food intake can compromise athletic performance and success where Nutritional Knowledge can play a leading role. Methods: One hundred and three youth athletes from 6 different clubs belonging to the District, Honor, and National Championship participated in this study. To assess Nutritional Knowledge, consumption of alcohol and tobacco the Abridged Nutrition for Sport Knowledge Questionnaire was applied. Results: The percentage of Nutritional Knowledge obtained in the District Championship was 31.25%, in the Honors it was 35.56% and in the National Championship it was 35.02%. No significant differences were found between the Nutritional Knowledge of athletes. In turn, there were statistical differences in the consumption of alcohol and tobacco among the athletes of the 3 Championships, with the District division having the highest percentage of smokers (100%) and alcohol consumers (42.6%). Conclusion: It is essential to increase the Nutritional Knowledge observed in these young athletes since it can have an influential role in their food choices.

Validity of a motor-cognitive dual-task agility test in elite youth football players.

Agility, as the ability to react rapidly to unforeseen events, is an essential component of football performance. However, existing agility diagnostics often do not reflect the complex motor-cognitive interaction required on the field. Therefore, this study evaluates the criterion and ecological validity of a newly developed motor-cognitive dual-task agility approach in elite youth football players and compare it to a traditional reactive agility test. Twenty-one male youth elite football players (age:17.4±0.6; BMI:23.2±1.8) performed two agility tests (reactive agility, reactive agility with integrated multiple-object-tracking (Dual-Task Agility)) on the SKILLCOURT system. Performance was correlated to motor (sprint, jump), cognitive (executive functions, attention, reaction speed) and football specific tests (Loughborough soccer passing test (LSPT)) as well as indirect game metrics (coaches' rating, playing time). Reactive agility performance showed moderate correlations to attention and choice reaction times (r=0.48-0.63), as well as to the LSPT (r=0.51). The dual-task agility test revealed moderate relationships with attention and reaction speed (r=0.47-0.58), executive functions (r=0.45-0.63), as well as the game metrics (r=0.51-0.61). Finally, the dual-task agility test significantly differentiated players based on their coaches' rating and playing time using a median split (p<0.05; d=0.8-1.28). Motor-cognitive agility performance in elite youth football players seems to be primarily determined by cognitive functions. The integration of multiple object tracking into reactive agility testing seems to be an ecologically valid approach for performance diagnostics in youth football.

Field‐based validation of penalty shooting recommendations: An experiment with elite youth football players

AbstractResearch has suggested many ways in which professional football players can increase their penalty shooting success rate. We set up a field experiment testing these recommendations. We perform the experiment with one of the most successful youth academies in the world. All players are highly skilled, including prospective and current Brazilian youth national players. The players either decide themselves where to shoot or the coach tells them where to shoot. The coach does not reveal if the decision is based on a random allocation or his own choice. The algorithm randomly selects where players must shoot. The results from the experiment show that the best outcome is when players choose where they want to shoot. Coaches and random algorithm have a lower success rate, although following research‐based recommendations. The findings are important as they show that researchers should test their recommendations in the field as they do not necessarily translate into real‐life settings.

Return to Play Assessment After Lateral Ankle Sprains - German Male Elite Youth Football (Soccer) Academy Baseline Data.

Lateral ankle sprain (LAS) is one of the most common types of injury in football (soccer). Normative baseline data of performance tests for Return to Play (RTP) decision are still lacking. The primary aim of this study was to generate baseline values for uninjured elite youth football players for a multifactorial RTP assessment and compare with previously published data. A secondary aim was to investigate the use of the Limb Symmetry Index (LSI) as a method to determine whether an athlete passes a performance test or not. Observational Cohort study. Baseline data of performance tests (Y-Balance [YBT-LQ], Heel Rise [HRT]; Singe Leg Squat [SLST]; Single Leg Drop Jump [SLDJ]; Side Hop [SHT]; Figure of 8 Hop [F-8]; Modified Agility T-Test [MAT]) were assessed in 20 elite youth football players, aged 16-21 years. Additionally, the traditional LSI (dividing the result of the non-dominant leg by the result of the dominant leg and multiplying by 100) and directionally corrected LSI (the worst value is divided by the better value and multiplied by 100) were calculated. The test values were compared to previously reported study results. LSI and side-to-side comparisons between dominant and non-dominant leg sides were analyzed using the Wilcoxon test. Male elite youth football players achieved better results in the dynamic performance tests (SHT, F-8, and MAT) compared to reference values of the cohorts previously described in the literature: YBT-LQ total score (cm) dominant (dom) 99.3±8.3, non-dominant (ND) 99.5±10.4; HRT (average number) dom. 27.1±5.4, ND 25.2±5.1); SLDJ height (cm) dom 15±5, ND 15±5 and contact time (sec) dom 0.29±0.08, ND 0.29±0.07, Reactive Strength Index (RSI) dom 0.52±0.12, ND 0.50±0.13); SHT (sec) dom 7.12±0.73, ND 7.39±0.93; F-8 (sec) dom 10.52±1.02, ND 10.37±1.04; and MAT (sec) 5.82±0.22. Directionally corrected LSI differed significantly from the traditional calculated LSI (p<0.05). The findings of this study highlight the need to determine specific baseline data for RTP testing in male elite youth football players after LAS. The traditional LSI should not be used as a "stand alone method" for determining RTP. LSI calculations should consider the direction of asymmetry to determine passing a performance test or not. 3b.

Muscle Injuries in Elite Youth Football Academy: A Six-Year Longitudinal Study on the U15 Football Team

To develop specific preventive strategies, it is necessary to investigate in detail the occurrence of injuries in young football players. This study aimed to provide details about the type, location, severity, and contact nature of muscle injuries in elite U15 Croatian football players. A total number of 130 muscle injuries occurred during the six competitive seasons, of which 88 were DOMS injuries and 42 were rupture injuries. Specifically, 87% of all muscle injuries belonged to the four major groups, with only 15 injuries to the other muscle groups: hamstrings (43), quadriceps (41), adductors (25), calves (6). The muscle injury incidence was stable during the observed period as the injury incidence rate ratio (IRR) was 1.01 (95%CI: 0.99–1.03), with 3.13 (95%CI: 3.09–3.17) muscle injuries per 1000 h of exposure in the first season and 3.06 (95%CI: 3.02–3.1) in the sixth season. A significantly higher risk for muscle injuries was discovered in the competition as the incidence for the whole observed period was 7.38 (95%CI: 7.29–7.47) compared to 2.25 (95%CI: 2.24–2.26) in the training period. Despite the relatively stable number of sustained muscle injuries, the relative proportion of muscular injuries increased over the years due to a severe decrease in the total number of injuries. Regarding the proportion of players who had sustained a muscle injury, our results suggest that approximately two out of five players can expect a muscular injury over the one-season period. Relatively high injury expectancy rates, as well as reinjury rates, require specific preventive interventions that will reduce the number and severity of new and recurred injuries. Future studies should include a wide set of predictor variables in order to establish the most important injury risk factors.

Investigating Acceleration and Deceleration Patterns in Elite Youth Football: The Interplay of Ball Possession and Tactical Behavior

The main objective of this study was (1) to analyze the patterns of acceleration (Ac) and deceleration (Dec) during football matches in elite youth football, both within and between different segments of the match; and (2) to investigate the impact of ball possession and various playing positions on these acceleration and deceleration patterns. To provide a broader explanatory context, the influence of tactical space management was assessed in terms of depth and width. A descriptive comparative design was used, and data were collected during two friendly matches. Player and ball tracking data were collected using a local positioning system. In the attack phase, differences were obtained in the average Ac (first half: 0.42 ± 0.06 m·s−2, second half: 0.38 ± 0.07 m·s−2; p = 0.021, d = 0.50) and average Dec (first half: −0.44 ± 0.09 m·s−2, second half: −0.36 ± 0.08 m·s−2; p = 0.001, d = 0.84). Wingers in the attack phase obtained higher values in maximum Ac (1.65 ± 0.65 m·s−2; p = 0.007, η2 = 0.03), and in the total number of both Ac (68.7 ± 45.22; p = 0.001, η2 = 0.10) and Dec (70.6 ± 45.70; p = 0.001, η2 = 0.10). In the defense phase, full-backs obtained higher values in average Ac (0.53 ± 0.17 m·s−2; p = 0.001, η2 = 0.07) and average Dec (−0.49 ± 0.18 m·s−2; p = 0.001, η2 = 0.05) and wingers in the total number of Ac (43.9 ± 27.30; p = 0.001, η2 = 0.11) and Dec (43.8 ± 28.60; p = 0.001, η2 = 0.10). In young football players, Ac and Dec do not follow a decreasing end throughout the match, and their behavior is uneven depending on ball possession and the position assigned to the player, with the highest demands on Ac/Dec in winger and full-back positions.

Analysis of injury characteristics in youth elite football athletes in Indonesia

Background: Football is the most popular sport globally, with approximately 200,000 professional players and 240 million amateur players. It is a high-intensity intermittent sport that can lead to fatigue, increasing the risk of injury. Unfortunately, injuries in young athletes are still not widely studied, making not much data available. This study tries to fill the gap by investigating the characteristics of injuries in young football athletes in Indonesia. In addition, it attempts to determine the relationship between BMI, exposure time to training and matches on injuries. Methods: This study used a retrospective cohort design with a survey method on EPA (Elite Pro Academy) U14, U16, and U18 youth football athletes from 18 teams in each age group. The data were collected from 838 young footballers as the sample. Results: This study found no association between BMI and injury (p &gt; 0.05), while exposure time did have an association with injury (p &lt; 0.05). Based on the injury location, sports injuries were mostly found in the ankle 273 (39%). The highest injury type was contusion 36%, followed by strain 25% and sprain 18%. Regarding severity, most cases were classified as minor injuries (4-7 days), with 299 (43%). The defender position had the most injuries, 188 (35%). Osgood Schlatter was most prevalent in athletes aged 13, with 29 cases. Meanwhile, the total injury incidence is 3.9/1000 hours. Conclusions: This study found that training exposure time was associated with the number of injuries. It also recorded that most injuries occur in the lower limbs, especially ankle ligament injuries. The defender received high attention as it is considered the most vulnerable position. Finally, the peak incidence of Osgood Schlatter occurred at the age of 13. Keywords: sports injuries, injury incidence, youth football athletes, Osgood Schlatter

Cuboid Cobbles Hinder Elite Youth Football Player.

We describe an elite youth football player who developed lateral foot pain of previously unknown origin. A thorough patient history and physical examination as well as an in-depth presentation of radiographic findings on Computed tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan were described. Through this combination, the puzzle was resolved and a rare peroneus longus tendinopathy due to bony spurs in the cuboid groove was diagnosed. A peroneus longus exploration, release and reduction of the cuboidal bone spurs was performed and intensive rehabilitation phase followed. The patient successfully returned to performance and set a career in professional football.

How Does Age Affect Injury Characteristics in Young Elite Footballers?-A Prospective Cohort Study of a German Youth Academy.

Little is known about age-related changes in injury characteristics and burden, and existing data are inconsistent, highlighting the need for new studies on this topic. This study aimed to describe age-related injury risk, severity and burden in a German elite youth football academy. A prospective cohort study was conducted in the 2012/2013 season, reporting 109 time-loss injuries among 138 young athletes playing at an elite football academy in Germany. For the most severe injuries, the injury burden in the different age groups was considered separately. Athletes missed a total of 2536 days of exposure, resulting in an overall incidence of 2.6 per 1000 h (1.7-3.0; 95% CI) and a burden of 60.6 days lost per 1000 h (40.8-80.3; 95% CI). The incidence and burden of joint sprains and muscle injuries were higher in the older age groups. Physeal injuries peaked in the U14 age group during the pubertal growth spurt. Bone injuries and contusions showed no age trend. Injury characteristics vary with age. The overall incidence, severity and burden of injuries increased with the age of the athletes. To ensure the optimal development of young athletes, it is important to be aware of the differences in injury susceptibility between age groups in order to implement tailored prevention programmes.

Survey of the current practices of German football academies towards biological maturation assessment

ABSTRACT Objectives This study aimed to examine the importance assigned to assessing and considering biological maturation in thematic areas of player development and provide an overview of current practices in German football academies regarding its consideration in training and competition. Methods An online survey was sent to 56 elite German football academies. A total of 46 responded to the questionnaire (82% response rate). Six participants provided incomplete information resulting in a total of 40 completed surveys in the period from March to May 2022. Results Only 20 of participants regularly carried out maturation assessments, despite 95% recognizing its importance for load management, 90% for player development, and 85% for injury prevention. There was no consistent approach to modifying training and competition formats based on maturity status, with a primary focus on gym-based sessions for load management. Conclusion The survey results highlight limited implementation of maturation assessment and training modification based on maturity status in German elite youth football academies. Despite recognizing the importance of load monitoring, reporting to parents, and long-term player development in considering biological maturation, practices are not widespread. The predominant use of the maturity offset method suggests an opportunity to improve accuracy by exploring alternative measurement methods and increasing assessment frequency. Moreover, a lack of established procedures for incorporating maturity status into training and competition exists, hindering comprehensive consideration of biological maturation and injury risk prevention. Further research is needed to understand the reasons for inconsistent approaches in maturation assessment and load modification during training and competition.

The pre-match talk: A multiple-method examination of youth-elite football coaches’ motivational content

Pre-match meetings are popular scenes in team sports, with coaches typically gathering the full squad within the dressing room and sharing their thoughts before the warm-up and/or competition. Whilst researchers have outlined the effects of informational or emotional talks, little is known about the actual verbal strategies that coaches adopt to influence their players. Therefore, this study examined the motivational content of football coaches’ verbal behaviours and underpinning perceptions of pre-match talks’ delivery. Five coaches ( Mage = 36.2 years) working at a La Liga academy were involved in six pre-match talks ( n = 30) and one semi-structured interview each. Talks were analysed using a two-stage coding process after adaptation of validated and motivationally relevant instruments, and interviews were assessed following thematic analysis procedures. Game strategy units were the most commonly employed topic across all coaches, which involved ‘neutral’ behaviours such as role description, game objective specification, and opposition statements. These were complemented with autonomy and competence supportive messages such as facilitating choices/opinions, offering rationales, supporting past performance, or ego-oriented and social climate support dimensions, depending on the coach. Data suggested that contextual factors could strengthen or attenuate the use of these verbal behaviours/dimensions. Build-up play contents were more likely to feature autonomy support game strategy comments than defending aspects, whereas lower-ranked and underdog opponents were associated with increased disapproving past performance and ego-involving statements compared to when facing higher-ranked opponents or playing derbies. Thus, it is suggested that the use of autonomy-, competence- and relatedness-supportive dimensions in addition to task-oriented messages should be reconsider by coaches if attempting to convey a need-supportive motivational climate.

Injury incidence in male elite youth football players is associated with preceding levels and changes in training load

ObjectivesElite youth football players miss out on a large part of seasonal training due to injury. Limited research suggests an association between external and internal training load (TL) and injury...

Injury Patterns and Incidence in an Elite Youth Football Academy-A Prospective Cohort Study of 138 Male Athletes.

There is a lack of evidence regarding injury incidence in German elite youth football academies, and the risk of re-injury is unknown. Therefore, the objectives of this study were (1) to determine injury patterns and incidence in an elite youth football academy in Germany, (2) to monitor overuse-/trauma-related injuries over the course of the season, and (3) determine the risk of re-injury. A prospective cohort study was conducted in the 2012/2013 season among 138 male players from an elite youth football academy in Germany. Injuries were recorded according to the consensus statement on injury definitions and data collection in studies of football injuries. Injury incidence was reported as the number of injuries per 1000 h of exposure and the number of injuries per squad season. A total of 109 injuries were reported, resulting in a cumulative time-loss of 2536 days. A squad of 25 players sustained 19.7 injuries per season, with an average of 23.3 days (15.7-30.9; 95% CI lower-upper) of absence per injury. Ligament sprains (28%), muscle strains (19%) and physeal injuries (12%) were the most common causes of time-loss. Physeal injuries were the most common severe type of injury (29%), with a mean time-loss of 29.7 days (18.2-41.2; 95% CI lower-upper). Re-injuries accounted for 3% of all injuries and resulted in significantly more time-loss than non-re-injuries (60 vs. 23 days; p = 0.01). In the youth academies studied, a team of 25 players sustained an average of 19.7 injuries per season, resulting in a cumulative time-loss of 459 days. Physeal injuries are a major contributor to severe injuries and therefore require special attention.

Examining the effect of task constraints on the emergence of creative action in young elite football players by using a method combining expert judgement and frequency count

In adult football, small-sided games are associated with increased action variability and suggested to promote more creative actions compared to regular 11v11 formats. This aligns with predictions from an ecological approach to perception and action that creative actions emerge in environments that grant variability in action, instead of being an expression of the individual player’s ability to generate ideas. To further evidence for this prediction, the current study aimed to expand this observation to elite youth football players. To this end, the number of different and creative actions in 4v4 small-sided game and a 11v11 regular-sided game among 10- to 12-year-old elite football players were examined. We analyzed a total of 7922 actions, which were categorized for type and creativity. Based on a subset of these actions, a panel of elite football coaches judged action types occurring below 0.5% as significantly more creative than more frequent action types. Hence, we used an occurrence of 0.5% as threshold to distinguish creative actions from non-creative actions. The results showed that the total number of actions, the number of different action types, the number creative actions and the number of different creative action types was significantly higher for the small-sided game format than the regular-sided game. In conclusion, this study confirms that in elite youth football, small-sided games induce a more variable and creative action repertoire. This shows that practitioners can design learning environments that promote the emergence of creative actions.

Facilitators and barriers associated with youth player transition to professional first-team football: A key stakeholder perspective

The transition of elite youth footballers through academy systems towards the first team is highly complex, competitive, and often unsuccessful. A myriad of factors including technical competence, physical prowess, and the development environment combine to determine youth player progression. Current research has focused on broad investigations of multiple clubs and stakeholders, providing a valuable overview of the key aspects associated with elite youth player transition. This study aimed to provide an in-depth, context-specific investigation of key stakeholders within an elite level club in the United Kingdom (UK). Seven key stakeholders including the head of the academy ( n = 1), the head of sports science ( n = 1), coaches ( n = 3), and lead sports scientists ( n = 2) were recruited. Framework analysis led to the development of a practical framework outlining the key facilitators and barriers of youth-to-first-team transition. Facilitators of transition included overcoming adversity, high-level physical prowess, exceptional technical competence, and possessing at least one elite-level attribute. Barriers to transition included a lack of opportunity, lucrative youth player contracts and a lack of development-specific coaching. In addition, the developmental environment and developing individuals within a team environment were key influences on youth-to-first-team transition. This study complements recent broad investigations of the UK and global stakeholders by corroborating many of their findings while providing transferable, context-specific accounts of applied issues related to successful transition to first-team football.

Differences in Anthropometric Characteristics of Youth in Football Between Elite and Non-Elite Players

Study purpose. This paper is about the differences in anthropometric characteristics between elite and non-elite youth football players in the Republic of Kosovo. Therefore, our current study aims to compare the differences in anthropometric characteristics between elite and non-elite youth players. The test was conducted with 132 young football players aged 14±0.5 years. Materials and methods. The sample was divided into two groups, namely 66 young players playing in the elite league and 66 young players playing in the non-elite league. The sample of variables consisted of 10 anthropometric measurements. The results of the measurements were analyzed using statistical procedures characterized by descriptive parameters and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results. The results show that the elite league players have higher values in height and body mass compared to the non-elite league players. It should be noted that the length of the left leg is also higher in the elite league players, while the waist circumference is higher in the non-elite league players. As for knee diameter, the values are identical in both groups. Subcutaneous adipose tissue is more pronounced in the non-elite group than in the elite league players. According to the analysis of variance (ANOVA), significant differences were presented only in the three variables such as the subcutaneous adipose tissue of the back, triceps and suprailiac between the elite and non-elite groups at the level (p&lt;0.05), while no differences were presented in other variables. That is, between the elite and non-elite groups. Conclusions. In summary, the elite league players had better values in the anthropometric characteristics compared to the non-elite league players.

Mind the gap: Environmental influences on player psychosocial needs and development in an elite youth football academy

The Premier League football academy environment plays a significant role in shaping the psychosocial needs and development of youth footballers. The first author conducted a qualitative case study within a category one academy over nine-months using multiple methods (observation, field notes, interviews, focus groups, and document analysis). The holistic ecological approach (HEA) was used as a framework to capture the complexity of academy life. Analysis revealed a disparity between the awareness of the importance of psychosocial skills within the environment and the approach to embedding and prioritising their development. Environmental factors at both a micro and macro level resulted in an intention-action gap which inhibited psychosocial skill development. From the results of this study we suggest that sport psychology practitioners (SPPP) should incorporate environmental level factors in their work to better facilitate players’ psychosocial development.

The associations of early specialization, sports volume, and maturity status with musculoskeletal injury in elite youth football players.

Background: Youth football in schools has experienced rapid growth in China. Despite the increase of players engaging in more frequent, intensive, and organized sports training at their early ages, the controversy over early specialization (ES) still exists. This study aims to: a) investigate the training situation of players in the Chinese School Football Programme and b) examine the associations of early specialization, sports volume, and maturity status with musculoskeletal injury. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was used. Players who participated in the National School Football Winter Camp were invited to fill out a questionnaire that included the data of maturity, ES, sports volume, and injury history (n = 88 boys and n = 90 girls). Results: The results have shown that 80.3% of the athletes were classified as ES, while 19.7% of them were classified as non-ES. Almost all athletes (96%) participated in a sport for more than 8months in a year. Most athletes (75.8%) spent more than twice of the time on organized sports than leisure activities. 30.3% of the athletes trained on average more hours per week than the number of their ages. Binomial logistic regression models reflected the significant differences in the odds ratios (OR) of reporting a history of injury among athletes with different levels of specialization (p = 0.024) and the OR of reporting a history of leg injury among players with different weekly sports volumes (p = 0.038). Significant differences were also shown in the OR of players reporting foot injuries between players with different maturity states (p = 0.046), and the Chi-squared test showed significant differences in the OR of reporting acute injuries between players with different levels of specialization (p = 0.048) and weekly activity (p = 0.022). No significant differences were found between the remaining variables. Conclusion: Most school football elite players follow the ES pathway even though ES increases the risk of injury, especially acute injury. Pre-pubertal and early pubertal players have a higher incidence of foot injuries. Players who train more hours per week than their ages have more leg injuries and acute injuries. Therefore, priority protection and intervention should be carried out for populations with a high risk of injury.