Guides for players, parents, coaches, scouts and clubs

Guides

Questions we get often, answered properly. They are written to be useful in their own right — not to sell anything.

For players

How do you get scouted in football?

For players who want to be spotted: who the scouts are, what they look for and what you can do yourself in Swedish youth football – with no promises of shortcuts.

8 min read

How to make a highlight video a scout actually watches to the end

Length, content, filming and the most common mistakes. A practical guide to the football highlight video — written around what actually makes somebody watch to the end.

7 min read

Trials: the rules govern the match, not the training

What the Swedish FA rulebook actually says about trials, what is a district rule and what is only a recommendation – and how academies invite players.

5 min read

Most academies pick next year’s players in October and November

Academy trials in Swedish football ahead of 2027: dates, forms and which clubs only scout – AIK, Hammarby, IFK Göteborg, Malmö FF, Kalmar FF and more.

6 min read

NIU football: two applications, one window, no guarantees

Applications for NIU football 2027/28 close on 1 December 2026. How the two applications work, what is assessed, the money, and where it leads.

4 min read

Two sets of rules: up to 14, and from 15

The free month runs 15 November–15 December. What the Swedish FA rules say about changing clubs: playing terms up to 14, Fogis transfers from 15, fees and waiting times.

5 min read

A football scholarship in the US is usually a partial one – and the clock starts at 19

How football scholarships in the US work in 2026/27: the NCAA’s new roster limits, how Swedish grades count, the age rule, pro contracts, CSN and agency fees.

5 min read

Strength training does not stunt your growth. Sloppy technique is what causes injuries.

Strength training does not stunt growth, according to the consensus statements. How to start: body weight, technique, Knee Control twice a week and the right gym.

6 min read

For parents

Being a football parent: what helps and what hurts

What research says about the touchline, the car ride home and what children actually want to hear. Most of what helps is about holding back.

8 min read

Your child is posting football clips. What should you look at?

What the law says about the age of 13, what sport requires on top of it, and what to actually look for in a clip before it goes out.

9 min read

An agent got in touch about your child. How to tell if it is real

The age limits in Swedish football, how a serious approach is supposed to work, the three questions you ask, and what the odds actually are.

9 min read

It is not 70 per cent at 13. This is what the curve really looks like.

What Swedish data says about when children quit football, why they do it and what you as a parent can actually say. No invented numbers.

5 min read

How to film a youth match so the clips are actually usable

Where to stand, which settings to use and how to cut afterwards so the player, the coach and any scout can actually use the footage.

5 min read

Growing pains hurt at night. Pain after training is something else.

Growing pains, Osgood-Schlatter or Sever’s disease? What is common in young footballers, how to adapt training and which signs mean you should seek care.

6 min read

The right to play is a rule – the minutes are a recommendation

What the Swedish FA’s rules and recommendations say about playing time from 6 to 19, what the districts have added, and how to raise it when your child is on the bench.

6 min read

For coaches

Development conversations with youth players: a template that holds up

Questions to ask, things to avoid, and a structure that works from twelve years old and up. Ready to use as it is — no download required.

8 min read

Your players remember about half of what you say

What research says about how much young players actually take in, why questions are rarely questions, and how long a clip has to be to change anything.

8 min read

Stacking, streaming and adapting are three different things

The Swedish Sports Confederation’s terms, the growth spurt you cannot see, the birth months in your squad, and a playing-time policy that survives the season.

9 min read

What should you train at which age? The game formats are the answer, not the milestones

Swedish football’s formats from 3v3 to 11v11, what each step means for training, and why there is no list of what a ten-year-old should be able to do.

5 min read

Players stand still for up to a third of a training session

The Swedish FA’s own example sessions for ages 6–12, how many coaches you need, the warm-up that cuts injuries, and why queues and long talks have to go.

5 min read

For scouts

Two scouts agree on the present and disagree on the potential

What research says about accuracy in talent assessment, which biases actually bite, and what a report needs to look like to still be readable in two years.

8 min read

Contacting a young player: what the rules are

The order of contact, the approach rules, the age limits and what applies to trials and international transfers. Written for scouts, coaches and clubs.

9 min read

There is no scouting course. Here is how you become a scout anyway.

The Swedish FA has no scouting course and most scouting roles are unpaid. The way in, in Sweden: courses, job adverts, rules and what to do without a job.

4 min read

Guides

For players

How do you get scouted in football?

How to make a highlight video a scout actually watches to the end

Trials: the rules govern the match, not the training

Most academies pick next year’s players in October and November

NIU football: two applications, one window, no guarantees

Two sets of rules: up to 14, and from 15

A football scholarship in the US is usually a partial one – and the clock starts at 19

Strength training does not stunt your growth. Sloppy technique is what causes injuries.

For parents

Being a football parent: what helps and what hurts

Your child is posting football clips. What should you look at?

An agent got in touch about your child. How to tell if it is real

It is not 70 per cent at 13. This is what the curve really looks like.

How to film a youth match so the clips are actually usable

Growing pains hurt at night. Pain after training is something else.

The right to play is a rule – the minutes are a recommendation

For coaches

Development conversations with youth players: a template that holds up

Your players remember about half of what you say

Stacking, streaming and adapting are three different things

What should you train at which age? The game formats are the answer, not the milestones

Players stand still for up to a third of a training session

For scouts

Two scouts agree on the present and disagree on the potential

Contacting a young player: what the rules are

There is no scouting course. Here is how you become a scout anyway.

For clubs

Who may film at your club, and what may you publish?

Training compensation is paid at the professional contract, not at the club change

A player development plan is only worth something once the teams follow it