On the sample of 23 female players of the Slovenian women's youth national teams between age 16 and 18, we were analysing differences between playing positions in physical characteristics, motor and functional abilities. The players were tested according to an established test battery as part of regular annual testing. We were also interested in comparing the results with players from other national teams. Analyses of differences were calculated by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The Tukey post hoc test was used to test for statically significant differences between playing positions (p < 0.05). The analysis showed that there were statistically significant differences between playing positions for all physical characteristics variables (BH, BW, BFM, SMM, right and left leg muscle mass). The goalkeepers were the tallest and heaviest compared to the other positions. The highest percentage of fat mass is found in the midfielders and the highest percentage of skeletal muscle mass in the defenders. The goalkeepers have the highest muscle mass of the right and left leg. Statistically significant differences were also found between the tests of motor and functional abilities. In the 8x40m endurance test, goalkeepers had a statistically significant worse result in the average repetition compared to defenders. There was also a statistically significant difference between the goalkeepers and the rest of the players in the ratio between the squat jump and the countermovement jump. Mostly, defenders had the best results in both motor and functional tests, which is partly in line with previous studies. A moderately strong connection between percetage of muscle mass and performance in the motorskill tests was found for nine variables (r = 0.40-0.69). The dominant leg did not have a statistically significant higher muscle mass compared to the non-dominant leg (p = 0.058). Similarly, the high or moderate HQ ratio did not prove to be statistically significant for the countermovement jump height. The study showed that there are some significant differences in physical characteristics and locomotor skills between female players of different playing positions. The training process should be based on a more individual approach in the context of team training in order to improve the development of the players and reduce the chances of injuries. In order to better define the demands of the game in Slovenian women's football, a study based on a larger sample size should be conducted in the future.
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