Introduction

Soccer play has grown in popularity among young females since the First World Cup for women’s teams was held in China in 1991. It has proved to be an attractive recreational activity and competitive sport in many developed countries. There has been a step-wise increase in women’s clubs over the last quarter of a century in the majority of European countries and a similar growth in participation has occurred in American and Asian countries. Nevertheless the sport is still hardly played at all by girls in many countries worldwide where it is restricted by cultural, domestic and economic considerations.