Landslagsgerðir

Landslagsgerðir are the different types or categories of a country’s national teams used in international sports competition. The term is used in Nordic languages to describe how a nation maintains multiple national squads across sport, age groups, genders, and sometimes disability or special categories.

Common categories include senior national teams (the primary national squads that compete in major world or continental events), age-group teams (such as under-21, under-19, or under-18 teams), and gender-based teams (men’s and women’s national teams). In addition, many sports maintain specialized or adaptive national teams, such as futsal, beach soccer, wheelchair basketball, and para-sport teams, to represent the country in events tailored to those disciplines or abilities. Youth and development pathways are a key function of landslagsgerder, with players progressing from club play to youth national teams and, if selected, to the senior national team.

Administration and eligibility are handled by national federations or confederations, which set criteria for selection, age limits, and the progression between levels. Competition formats and qualification processes differ by sport and region, but the general purpose is to organize national representation and nurture talent across generations. The concept of landslagsgerder helps describe how countries structure their international presence and development pipelines, ensuring a pipeline of players who can rise through the ranks to compete at the highest levels.