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Ball sports demand precise control of body and ball while executing tactics and team coordination, which leads to cognitive depletion and mental fatigue. The detrimental effects of mental fatigue on physical, technical, cognitive, and tactical performance in ball sports are evident, highlighting the need for effective management of mental fatigue as a crucial component of modern sports science. This review aims to systematically study and integrate existing experiments on mental fatigue recovery interventions to identify viable strategies for mitigating its impacts. Following PRISMA guidelines, electronic databases including Web of Science, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and Scopus were used for literature screening. Studies that induced mental fatigue followed by interventions aimed at mental fatigue recovery were included in this review, resulting in 6 articles primarily focused on basketball, soccer, and golf. Short-term interventions such as music listening, mindfulness training, self-talk, and natural visual stimuli have been shown as effective strategies to alleviate mental fatigue and enhance technical and cognitive performance in ball sports. However, their practical application in real-game environments requires further research and validation. Additionally, future research should explore defensive skills and tactical performance as viable directions for study., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Pan et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Scanning is an important perceptual skill that enables football players to gather information about opponents, teammates and the environment in real-time. This study investigated scanning before and during ball possession and its effect on the success of the subsequent action in U19 female footballers. Sixty-one elite and grassroots players (age: 16.7 ± 1.4) were recruited and analysed during 4v4 small-sided games. A total of 2010 game situations were video recorded for subsequent manual tagging. Multilevel logistic regression models revealed that elite players performed significantly more scans prior to first ball contact than their grassroots counterparts, but the number of scans performed during ball possession did not differ between competition levels. Furthermore, scans before and during ball possession positively influenced player's performance, whereas opponent pressure negatively influenced the success of subsequent actions, regardless of competition level. Differentiating between various subsequent actions revealed that scans before ball possession had a positive effect on the success of dribblings and passes, whereas scans during ball possession only had a positive effect on dribblings. Our results underline the importance of scanning in youth female football. These findings should be considered by coaches in the long-term development of players to increase the level of performance at elite age.

Enjoyment has emerged as a critical factor in understanding dropout and participation in the Norwegian youth soccer context (Persson et al., 2020; Solstad et al., 2022). Moreover, the children-to-youth sport transition within this context represents a shift in underlying values and aims (Hjelseth, 2016). The purpose of this mixed methods study was thus to investigate youth soccer players' enjoyment within the children-to-youth sport transition context. The quantitative phase consisted of 214 soccer players (28.2 % girls, M age  = 12.56 years) who completed a questionnaire, and structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. The quantitative data informed the selection of participants for qualitative interviews in the next phase. A total of 10 soccer players (6 boys and 4 girls) who had reported different levels of enjoyment were interviewed. Coding reliability thematic analysis was applied to analyze the qualitative data. The results indicated that expectation of success and the mastery-approach goal had a positive relationship with enjoyment. The qualitative data further revealed that love for the sport, being with friends, and learning and mastery were sources of enjoyment for the players. A key finding was that players experienced increased seriousness in the transition, which may have a negative impact on their enjoyment. In conclusion, coaches should emphasize players' expectations of success, learning, and intrapersonal mastery, while creating a team culture that values friendship and passion for the sport. These strategies can enhance enjoyment, potentially sustaining youth participation in soccer during the children-to-youth sport transition., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Elite sport is a potentially pathogenic environment due to stressors like dual-career, high training demands, and performance pressure. Recent evidence suggests that athletes are at high risk of mental health issues. Even though the FIFA is increasingly paying attention, efforts directed towards young talented footballers are scarce. Few studies have even been conducted on young talented footballers in Africa. The majority of epidemiological studies on athletes also suffer from an analytical approach that does not highlight athletes' mental health profiles. This study aims to describe the mental health profile and their prevalence of young talented footballers in three African representative countries., Methods: The study applied an observational-based cross-sectional research design with aspiring footballers from three sub-regions of Africa and aged between 10 and 23. The data was collected face-to-face from March to November 2022. Three screening tools were used to measure three mental health outcomes: Satisfaction With Life Scale (subjective well-being), Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item (depression), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (anxiety). The mental health outcomes were rates and scores of well-being, depression, and anxiety, used in latent profile analysis., Findings: 507 male young talented footballers (263[51∙9%] Cameroonians, 73[14∙4%] Moroccans, and 171[33∙7%] Ivorians) were included in the analysis with a mean age of 15∙1 (SD 2∙37) years. Screening of mental health states revealed that 367(72∙3%) and 412(81∙8%) of these players experienced anxiety and depressive symptoms respectively and 155(30∙7%) experienced low well-being. Differences in mental health outcomes were noted between countries, age groups and competition levels. Three profiles of mental health condition were also identified, namely moderate mental health (Profile 1), languishing (Profile 2) and flourishing (Profile 3)., Interpretation: The youth of football academies in the three African countries studied have a specific mental health profile, revealing a high prevalence of common mental disorders in the African context. These findings underline the need to enhance the awareness of mental health issues in young African players and provide tailored support., Funding: FIFA., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest We declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The dichotomous classification of self-talk statements into goal-directed as a more controlled type of self-talk and spontaneous as a more uncontrolled type of self-talk might be an oversimplification. To address this issue, two studies were conducted aiming to explore the idea that the distinction between the two self-talk types should rather be proportional and not mutually exclusive. In Study 1, football players took part in a penalty competition and were subsequently asked to state the self-talk they had before and after the penalty. In Study 2, table tennis players took part in two activities (i.e., a precision task and a competitive set) and were subsequently asked to state the self-talk they had before the individual rounds in each activity. In both studies, the players subsequently rated for each self-talk statement the extent to which it was spontaneous and the extent to which it was goal-directed. The majority of self-talk statements were rated to some extent as both spontaneous and goal-directed. For Study 1, paired-sample t-tests showed that before a penalty kick self-talk was more goal-directed than spontaneous and after the penalty kick it was more spontaneous than goal-directed. In the more exploratory Study 2, multilevel regression analyses showed that the two types of self-talk could not predict sports performance. While the results support the usefulness of the distinction between spontaneous and goal-directed self-talk, treating the two types of self-talk as proportional rather than dichotomous might reflect more accurately the mental activity. Key words: dual-process, organic self-talk, self-regulation, System 1, System 2., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that there is no competing financial interest or personal relationships that influenced the work reported in the paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

This study examined the impact of sport-specific cognitive training (CT) on executive functions (EFs) in youth soccer players. Thirty-one athletes (13-15 years) participated, 13 in the intervention group (IG) and 18 in the control group (CG). The IG underwent an 8-week soccer-focused CT program, while the CG maintained regular training. The assessments included working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility tasks. The results revealed no significant improvements in EFs in the IG compared to those in the CG. Both groups showed enhanced cognitive flexibility, possibly due to general cognitive development or learning effects. The study suggested that an 8-week sport-specific CT may not enhance EFs in young soccer players, potentially due to a ceiling effect in highly skilled athletes. These findings should be considered when designing cognitive training programs for athletes, and future research could explore the optimal duration of such programs., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Plyometric training in football is essential for enhancing athletic performance, as it allows for increasing strength and speed in gameplay. Meanwhile, mental visualization improves players' technical play and motor performance during both training and competitions, thereby contributing to an overall sports performance enhancement. Collectively, physical and technical training is thought to boost athletes' confidence in facing competitive demands. Our aim in the present study was to analyze the effectiveness of mental visualization during a plyometric training program for improving strength speed, and competitive self-confidence in young adult football (soccer) players. Our sample consisted of 40 male players aged between 19 and 25 years ( M = 20.82; SD = 1.26). We used a quasi-experimental design with a control group and pretest/posttest measurements. The experimental group participated in an 8-week plyometric training program that incorporated visualization tasks, while the control group underwent the same program but without visualization exercises. We found significant improvements for the experimental group on vertical jump ( p = .047) and speed (50-m sprints) ( p < .034) tests, as well as in their perceived competitive self-confidence ( p < .017). These findings suggest that combining plyometric exercises with visualization tasks may contribute to better motor learning, increased lower limb muscle speed and strength, and self-confidence to face competition., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

This study assessed the multifaceted relations between measures of workload, psychological state, and recovery throughout an entire soccer season in female collegiate soccer athletes (19.8±1.2 yrs, 132±12.3 lbs, 63±3.2 in). A prospective longitudinal study was utilized to measure workload (GPS training load, Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE), psychological state (mental stress, mental fatigue, and mood), and recovery (sleep duration, sleep quality, and soreness), during 90 observations (59 training sessions and 21 games). Separate linear-mixed effect models were used to assess outcomes of RPE, soreness, and sleep duration. A linear mixed-effects model explained 59% of the variance in RPE following each session. Specifically, each standard deviation increase in GPS load and mental stress in the morning prior to training increased RPE by 1.46 (SE=0.08) and 0.29 (SE=0.07), respectively, following that day's training. Furthermore, a significant interaction was found between several predictor variables and chronological day in the season while predicting RPE. Specifically, for each standard deviation increase in GPS load, RPE went up by 0.0055 per day during the season suggesting that load had a higher impact on RPE as the season progressed. In contrast, the interaction of day by mental stress, sleep duration, and soreness continued to be stronger as the season progressed. Each linear mixed-effect model predicted a larger amount of variance when accounting for individual variations in the random effects., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest in funding related to the present study., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

In the current study we aimed to investigate the effect of specific dual task training (SDTT) compared to conventional soccer training (CST) on motor and cognitive performances in U13 elite soccer players. Twenty-four young soccer players (all males) participated in this study. We measured their change of direction ability (CODA) and cognitive performances (cognitive flexibility and inhibition) before and after four weeks in either the SDTT group or the CST group. We administered the Trail-Making Test (TMT) to evaluate cognitive flexibility and the Stroop test to evaluate cognitive inhibition. We assessed CODA using the t test (TT). After training, CODA ( p < .001), cognitive flexibility ( p < .001), and inhibition ( p < .001) were improved only in the SDTT group. These results suggest that SDTT seems more suitable than CST to optimally improve both CODA and cognitive performances in U13 elite soccer players., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Context: Despite the availability of specialized assessment tools, psychological readiness is usually not considered when deciding to return to sport (RTS) after sport injury. Reinjury anxiety, self-confidence, and functional attention may be associated with sport reinjury, making it important to evaluate these factors before RTS., Objective: To predict lower extremity reinjury in soccer players using self-confidence, functional attention, and reinjury anxiety as predictive variables., Design: Prospective cohort study., Setting: Laboratory., Patients or Other Participants: Sixty-two male soccer players, who were older than 18 years of age, suffered from lower extremity injuries, had completed the rehabilitation program, and were ready to RTS., Main Outcome Measure(s): Before returning to the sport, participants completed a preseason questionnaire on their previous injuries, self-confidence, reinjury anxiety, and level of functional attention. The primary outcome measured was the risk of reinjury during the upcoming competitive season, and logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to determine the association between each risk factor and reinjury., Results: The overall reinjury rate was 5.56 injuries per 1000 hours of play. Self-confidence scores of ≤47 increased the risk of reinjury by 2.26 times (relative risk = 2.26; 95% CI, 1.31-3.91; OR = 5.00; 95% CI, 1.56-16.04), and each unit increase in self-confidence score reduced the risk of reinjury by 10% (OR = 0.90; CI, 0.82-0.99; P = .03). Regarding reinjury anxiety, a score of >22 was associated with 2.43 times the risk of reinjury (relative risk = 2.43; 95% CI, 1.44-4.13; OR = 6.46; 95% CI, 1.93-21.69), and each unit increase in reinjury anxiety score increased the risk of injury by 45% (OR = 1.45; CI, 1.13-0.87; P = .004)., Conclusions: Increased reinjury anxiety and decreased self-confidence are associated with higher odds of lower extremity reinjury in male soccer players. To reduce the risk of reinjury, athletic trainers and sport psychologists should take these psychological factors into account when evaluating the psychological readiness of soccer players with a history of lower extremity injury to RTS., (© by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, Inc.)

This study explores the relationship between the quality of coach-athlete relationships, transformational leadership style, and team resilience in elite football players. The coach-athlete relationship is an essential factor affecting many performance-related properties of athletes, such as mental health, psychological needs, motivation, and resilience. The study examines how the quality of coach-athlete relationships explains the team resilience feature through transformational leadership. The research group includes 210 elite players from the Super League, First League, Second League, and Third Leagues of the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) in the 2020-2021 football season. The study used descriptive and relational models to explore the current state of the dependent and independent variables and examine their relationships. The findings revealed insights into the mediating role of the coach's transformational leadership qualities, highlighting how the quality of coach-athlete relationships impacts team resilience., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background/objectives: Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) is an emerging behavioral pattern characterized by an obsessive focus on healthy eating. Despite its prevalence, ON lacks formal diagnostic criteria in major classification systems like the DSM-5 and the ICD-10. This study aims to investigate the impact of socio-cultural attitudes towards body image and the role of social media on the risk of ON among female football players from Poland, Turkey, and India. This study hypothesizes that socio-cultural pressures and media usage significantly influence the risk of developing ON, particularly in cultures more exposed to Western beauty ideals., Methods: The study was conducted from May to August 2024, employing the Computer-Assisted Web Interview method. A total of 142 female football players aged 16-36 from Poland, Turkey, and India participated. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire that included demographic information and health metrics, the Socio-Cultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire, and the Duesseldorf Orthorexia Scale. Statistical analyses included an ANOVA, the Kruskal-Wallis test, the chi-square test, and Pearson's correlation coefficient., Results: The study found that nearly half of the participants were at risk of or presented with ON, with the highest prevalence being among Indian athletes. Statistically significant relationships were observed between the risk of ON and factors such as age, dietary exclusions, social media usage, and sources of nutritional information. However, no significant correlation was found between socio-cultural attitudes and the risk of ON, suggesting that other factors may play a more critical role., Conclusions: While socio-cultural pressures and media use are contributing factors to the risk of ON, psychological factors and individual behaviors appear to be equally, if not more, significant. This study highlights the importance of targeted educational programs and psychological support for young athletes, with a focus on promoting healthy dietary practices and positive body image perceptions across varying cultural contexts. Additionally, the results suggest the need for further research into the specific psychological and behavioral mechanisms underlying ON.

Recreational football has shown growing evidence that it could be played safely in adults aged 60+ and that it is physically beneficial. Less is known about the psychological aspects, except for the lived experiences of players. The aim of the present study was to analyze both physiological and psychological effects of short-term recreational football. Fifteen participants took part in a six-week training program of recreational football played at a walking pace with two sessions of 1 h and 30 m per week. Physical fitness was assessed before and after the training period and psychological questionnaires were given at the same time. Body mass and body mass index were significantly decreased, but no other significant effects were found on physical fitness. Participants experienced less frustration related to psychological needs (autonomy and competence). Six weeks were too short to observe significant physical improvements while psychological benefits were already experienced. In this short period, psychological aspects seem predominant. These effects may encourage to long-term adhesion. The activity has the potential to keep adults 60+ exercising, which is important for maintaining good global health and seeing physical changes later.

This study aimed to: (i) analyze the variations in psychophysiological demands (mean heart rate, meanHR; rate of perceived exertion, RPE) and technical performance (umber of successful and unsuccessful passes, and occurrences of ball loss) between 2v2 and 4v4 small-sided games (SSGs) formats, and (ii) examine the relationships of aerobic capacity measured in Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test (YYIRT) on psychophysiological and technical performance during SSGs. This study used a cross-sectional design with repeated measures, where the same players participated in both 2v2 and 4v4 formats across two training sessions per format. Twenty-four talent/developmental male youth soccer players, aged 16.6 ± 0.5 years. The meanHR, measured through heart rate sensors, the RPE, assessed using the CR6-20 scale, and the number of successful and unsuccessful passes, along with occurrences of ball loss, recorded using an ad hoc observational tool, were evaluated in each repetition. Players during the 2v2 format had significantly greater mean HR (+4.1%; p < 0.001; d = 2.258), RPE (+12.2%; p < 0.001; d = 2.258), successful passes (+22.2%; p = 0.006; d = 0.884), unsuccessful passes (+62.5%; p < 0.001; d = 1.197) and lost balls (+111.1%; p < 0.001; d = 2.085) than 4v4 format. The YYIRT was significantly and largely correlated with unsuccessful passes (r = 0.502; p = 0.012) and lost balls (r = 0.421; p = 0.041) in 2v2 format. In conclusion, this study suggests that engaging in 2v2 activities constitutes a more intense form of practice, significantly enhancing individual participation in technical aspects. Moreover, aerobic capacity may influence the smaller formats of play and how players perform key technical actions. Therefore, coaches must consider this to ensure the necessary performance in such games., (© Journal of Sports Science and Medicine.)

We aimed to implement strength and balance training for elite adolescent male soccer players with functional ankle instability (FAI) to assess kinesiophobia, ankle instability, ankle function, and performance. This cluster randomized controlled trial comprised 51 elite adolescent male soccer players with FAI recruited from six different teams, divided into strength, balance, and control groups (SG, n = 17; BG, n = 17; and CG, n = 17, respectively). The SG and BG underwent strength and balance training sessions three times per week for 6 weeks. Primary outcomes were the Tampa scale for kinesiophobia-17 (TSK) and Cumberland ankle instability tool (CAIT) scores to assess kinesiophobia and FAI, respectively. Secondary outcomes were ankle strength (four directions), dynamic balance, static balance (ellipse, displacement, velocity), and performance (figure 8 and side-hop tests). A significant interaction effect was observed for both TSK and CAIT post-intervention (both, P < 0.01). In post hoc analyses, the BG had significantly better outcomes in reducing TSK. The SG and BG showed greater improvements in CAIT scores. Regression analysis indicated that CAIT severity correlated significantly with TSK ( P = 0.039, R = 0.289). For secondary outcomes, the SG and BG were superior in terms of ankle dorsiflexion/inversion strength, static balance displacement, and figure-8 and side-hop tests (all, P < 0.05). The BG showed significantly better static balance ellipse results (P < 0.05). The 6-week intervention significantly enhanced kinesiophobia management, ankle stability, and performance. Balance training effectively mitigated kinesiophobia and improved balance, compared with strength training alone. Even small variations in CAIT severity can influence kinesiophobia, highlighting the potential benefits of balance training. Integrating balance training into training programs can address both physical and psychological aspects of ankle instability. Research is recommended to explore the longitudinal effects of these interventions and their potential to prevent injury recurrence., (© Journal of Sports Science and Medicine.)

While researchers and practitioners attribute an essential role to executive functions (EFs) for soccer performance, the usefulness of respective diagnostics and the predictive value remain unclear. One limitation restricting the translation and relevance of study results to improve actual game performance is the insufficient consideration of competitive conditions. Thus, this study aimed to conduct soccer-specific cognitive diagnostics under a soccer-specific psychophysiological stress condition, mimicing the demands of a competitive game. A total of 92 (M age  = 15.17, SD age  = 1.45) youth elite players performed tests for inhibition (flanker task) or cognitive flexibility (number-letter task) with a soccer-specific motor response (i.e., pass into goals). After a pre-test in a neutral condition, players were randomly assigned to a neutral (moderate soccer-specific exercise) or a stress condition (physical stress and competitive instructions and filming for psychological stress). Objective (i.e., cortisol, heart rate variability) and subjective stress-related measures (i.e., SAM, VAS) were assessed six times throughout experimental procedure. Analyses revealed significant interaction effects between time and condition for all objective and subjective variables indicating a successful experimental stress induction. For cognitive performance, results revealed significant main effects of time, but no significant interaction effects between time and condition. However, descriptive statistics suggested improved performance under stress, with decreased flanker effect and switch costs. Additionally, response time variability in the flanker task significantly decreased in the stress condition. These findings offer insights into individual stress perception and processing under game-related psychophysiological demands, expanding previous research on situational EF alterations that also hold relevance for applied practitioners., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: We examined whether the situational match factors (location, result, and opposition quality), as well as playing position and menstrual cycle phase, influenced self-reported well-being in female soccer players. Methods: Twenty-two professional players (25 ± 5 years) from a squad in the Women's Super League in England self-reported their menstrual cycle phase via an online survey, and their soreness, sleep, stress, mood, and fatigue on a 1 (positive) to 5 (negative) scale on the morning of match day (MD) and for the next 3 days (referred to as MD + 1, MD + 2, MD + 3, respectively). Data was collected for 26 matches across the 2021-2022 season. Session rate of perceived exertion (sRPE) and total distance covered (measured with GPS) were measured on match and training days. Results: Menstrual cycle phase and the situational match factors had no influence on distance covered during matches and sRPE ( p  > .05). Sleep was worse on MD + 1 ( p  < .001; g  = 1.59) and MD + 2 ( p  = .005; g  = 0.98) after away matches. Stress and mood were > 28% worse after playing top vs. mid and bottom table opposition at MD + 1, and significantly worse when losing compared to winning and drawing ( p  > .05). Playing position and menstrual cycle phase has no influence on self-reported well-being ( p  > .05). Conclusion: Sleep quality was worse after away matches and losing matches negatively affects stress and mood for 2 days post-match, but menstrual cycle phase does not influence post-match well-being.

In soccer, skill is significantly influenced by motor skills and physical constitution. In addition, perceptual-cognitive abilities are thought to affect sport-specific performance. Nevertheless, there are hardly any studies investigating the relationship of general cognitive abilities with sport-specific performance. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze relationships between general perceptual-cognitive abilities and soccer-specific performance in competitive youth sports. Thirty highly talented male youth soccer players aged 12-14 years completed various perceptual-cognitive (selective attention, cognitive flexibility, inhibition, working memory, peripheral perception, and choice response) and sport-specific on-field tests. Cognitive abilities were assessed using a computer-based test system. Soccer-specific performance skills were evaluated by two sport-specific on-field tests. The relation between perceptual-cognitive abilities and soccer-specific performance was examined using a correlation analysis as well as a four-stage regression analysis. Overall, the expression of general perceptual-cognitive abilities was found to have an impact on performance in soccer-specific test situations, particularly cognitive flexibility and selective attention. Our results suggest that general cognitive tests could be an important tool for the evaluation of cognitive abilities in soccer. This study brings together key approaches in expertise research and makes a significant contribution to a better understanding of expertise in soccer., (© 2024 The Author(s). European Journal of Sport Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH on behalf of European College of Sport Science.)

The present research aimed to explore whether negative stereotypes and domain identification moderate novice participants' performance on a soccer-dribbling task, using a novel statistical procedure to explore within-subjects moderation effects. Fifty-four women with no soccer experience (Mage = 19.92, SDage = 1.0) were recruited and assigned to a negative stereotype condition or a nullified-stereotype condition and performed a soccer-dribbling task as fast as possible. Using moderation analyses for repeated measures, results showed (i) that inducing a negative stereotype did not moderate participants' performance, and (ii) that domain identification did not moderate participants' performance in a stereotype threat situation. In conclusion, the novice participants performance did not depend on the value of domain identification and the stereotype condition. More research is nonetheless needed to disentangle the question of how and why novice participants can be impacted by a stereotype threat situation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No conflict of interest will arise from any of the authors involved in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In recent years, there has been growing scientific interest in the neuropsychophysiological aspects of soccer performance. The purpose of this study was to conduct a bibliometric analysis to identify and review key topics within the neuropsychophysiological dimensions of soccer performance and identify any research voids that warrant further attention. We retrieved 192 documents from the Scopus database and anayzed the extracted data using VOSviewer software to conduct a bibliometric analysis. We applied both performance analysis techniques (including the number of documents per year, top 20 authors by citations, and top 15 sources by documents) and science mapping analysis (co-authorship, bibliographic coupling, co-citation, and co-occurrence). The co-occurrence analysis identified three main clusters of research themes. The first cluster focused on the relationship between physical performance and cognitive factors, the second on technical-tactical performance, and the third on health and well-being. Our findings emphasize the significant role of neuropsychophysiological factors in all aspects of soccer performance. We highlight the importance of integrating cognitive and physical training to enhance player performance and underscore the need for further research to deepen our understanding of these relationships., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Perceptual training enhances the ability to anticipate crucial information for decision-making, for example, a soccer goalkeeper predicting penalty kick direction. However, it remains unclear whether perceptual practice alone (implicit method) is sufficient for optimal decision-making improvement, or whether emphasising pertinent details during practice (explicit method) could yield better results. This study compared implicit and explicit methods of learning ball direction prediction during soccer penalties, involving both goalkeepers and non-soccer players (novices). Participants engaged in a single training session, either through the explicit method (watching videos highlighting relevant information) or implicit method (watching regular videos). Specialised software was used to display penalty kick videos, mimicking the goalkeeper's viewpoint up to 200 ms before ball contact, and measuring reaction time and response choice. Both implicit and explicit training led to consistent performance gains for goalkeepers and novices alike, notably enhancing ball direction prediction accuracy. Reaction time was unaffected by training. This suggests that both explicit and implicit training methods exhibit similar effectiveness, applicable to soccer goalkeepers and novices., (© 2024 International Union of Psychological Science.)

Background: Football, as a global phenomenon, intertwines team quality and fan attachment. This study, centered on Changchun Yatai Football Club (CYFC) fans, explores how emotional satisfaction acts as a mediator in this intricate relationship, providing nuanced perspectives crucial for understanding and optimizing the dynamics of fan-team connections in football culture., Objectives: The primary objective of this research is to examine the influence of team quality on emotional satisfaction and fans' attachment. Additionally, it aims to investigate the mediating role of emotional satisfaction in the relationship between team quality and fans' attachment. By achieving these objectives, the study seeks to contribute valuable insights into the dynamics of fan-team relationships in the context of football., Methodology: The research adopts an applied approach in terms of its purpose, aiming to provide practical implications for football clubs. The data collection method is descriptive, utilizing electronic questionnaires voluntarily completed by 396 fans of CYFC. The research tool comprises three questionnaires: the team quality questionnaire adapted from Zhan et al. (1997), the emotional satisfaction questionnaire developed by Reynold and Bettie (1999), and a researcher-made attachment questionnaire. Structural equation modeling is employed to analyze the gathered data., Results: The results obtained through structural equation modeling reveal a significant impact of team quality on both emotional satisfaction and fans' attachment. Furthermore, a positive and significant relationship is identified between emotional satisfaction and fans' attachment. The study also confirms the positive mediating role of emotional satisfaction in the connection between team quality and fans' attachment., Conclusions: In conclusion, the research suggests that football clubs can influence fans' attachment by strategically enhancing team quality. This improvement can be achieved through measures such as acquiring high-quality players and stars. Understanding and addressing the mediating role of emotional satisfaction can be a key strategy for clubs looking to strengthen their connection with fans. The findings provide practical insights for football clubs seeking to optimize their strategies for fan engagement and attachment., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Studies taking a person-centred statistical approach when examining young peoples` psychological experiences in sport is scarce. The main aim of the present study was to examine the relationships between young football players' psychological health resources and the psychological quality of their football-specific experiences. Data for this cross-sectional study was collected as part of the [BLINDED] arm of the larger Promoting Adolescence Physical Activity (PAPA) multi-centre project [1]. The sample consisted of young [BLINDED] male (n = 814), female (n = 576), grassroots football players between the ages of 10 and 15 years (M = 12.5 years, SD = 1.1 years). We performed a latent profile analysis using Mplus 8.4 using a robust maximum likelihood estimator (MLR). Players with the most resourceful psychological health profile experienced more coach social support (mean = 4.38) than did those with a less well-off resourceful profile (mean = 3.79) and those with the least well-off profile (mean = 3.28). Players with the most resourceful profile also felt a stronger sense of unity among their teammates and they enjoyed football more than those least well off (mean = 4.43 vrs. mean = 3.12 and mean = 4.74 vrs 3.50. respectively). Parallel between-profile differences were also found for the players' general health resources including perceived life satisfaction, general health and family affluence as covariates. Findings suggest that variations in young players' psychological health profiles and their general health resources play a role in the quality of their football-specific psychological experiences., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Ommundsen et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Non-democratic regimes have increasingly been hosting major sports events to boost their visibility and image abroad, which sparked debates about the potential for "sportswashing". Using the case of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar we examine how the framing of the tournament influenced opinions about Qatar abroad. Our pre-registered survey experiment with more than 14,000 respondents in eight European countries conducted before the tournament shows that framing it in light of human rights issues in Qatar leads to more negative attitudes towards the host of the World Cup. In contrast, frames emphasizing Qatar's organizational capacity improve respondents' attitudes. The heterogeneity of effects across countries highlights the relevance of the national information environment for the effects of major sports events on public opinion. These findings suggest that critical media coverage could potentially mitigate sportswashing efforts while uncritical coverage can increase the legitimacy of autocracies., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Gerschewski et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Our aim in the present study was to test the efficacy of a 13-week, 19-session psychological intervention program on young soccer players' competitive anxiety and their sport psychological profiles. Participants were 37 players in the under-15 age category, of which 18 players formed the experimental group ( M age = 14.67 years, SD = .48) and 19 players formed the control group ( M age = 14.23 years, SD = .42); this was a quasi-experimental design without random assignment to groups. We had all participants complete the Psychological Inventory of Sport Performance (IPED), the Questionnaire of Psychological Characteristics of Sport Performance (CPRD), and the Competition State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) before and after the intervention. Results indicated positive effects for the intervention group (but not the control group) on stress control and motivation dimensions of the CPRD, cognitive anxiety and self-confidence on the CSAI-2, and self-confidence and attentional control on the IPED. These results suggest that psychological training for athletes contributes to their improved psychological skills, providing them tools to better adapt to the competitive environment., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

In this study, we examined whether experience level and various dual motor and cognitive or single tasks influenced young soccer players' physical performance during small-sided games. Participants were 72 players from U-13 ( n = 36) and U-17 ( n = 36) groups who participated in 3-to-a-side small-sided games under four experimental conditions: control, a secondary motor task, an additional related secondary cognitive task, and an additional secondary non-specific task. We used GPS devices to measure physical performance in terms of distances covered and accelerations at different thresholds. We found no significant interaction effect between player experience and task condition ( p = .540), meaning that dual tasks had comparable effects on players of different experience levels. There were significant main effects of both experience level ( p < .001) and condition ( p < .001) on most physically related variables. Older players outperformed younger ones, particularly in high-intensity actions. While secondary motor tasks decreased physical performance, secondary cognitive tasks, irrespective of specificity, did not impair players' performances. In conclusion, experience level did not influence the players' physical response to dual tasks, and a secondary motor task was more disruptive to physical performance than either of two types of secondary cognitive tasks. Cognitive tasks can be incorporated into soccer training without compromising physical performance., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Men's academy football can encourage a commitment to the athletic role and masculine norms. When injured, the ability to fulfil an athletic masculine identity is threatened and athletes may experience injury fear-avoidance behaviours as part of a negative injury appraisal. The aim of the study was to explore whether higher athletic identity (AI) was associated with higher gender role conflict and injury-related fear-avoidance. Seventy-two male English academy footballers completed an Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS), Gender Role Conflict Scale (GRCS), and Athlete Fear Avoidance Questionnaire (AFAQ) based on self-reported historical injuries. Correlational analyses were conducted for all variables, and a one-way ANOVA was used to compare high, moderate, and low AI. AIMS was significantly positively correlated with two GRCS subscales: success, power, and competition (SPC) and restricted affectionate behaviour between men (RAM). AIMS exclusivity also positively correlated with SPC and AIMS negative affectivity positively correlated with GRCS total and RAM. Additionally, the current study showed that high and moderate levels of AI had significantly higher levels of total GRCS than those with low AI. No significant results were found for AIMS, GRCS, and AFAQ. Results suggest that players with higher and more exclusive AI may be susceptible to masculine role conflicts, specifically, SPC and RAM, especially when there is a risk to their athletic role. The current study informs sport and health professionals of the need to monitor AI and masculine conformity in academy-level footballers to minimise gender-role conflict and potential maladaptive rehabilitation responses when their identities are threatened.

The present study examined the associations of transformational leadership behaviors and team cohesion with the psychological health (life satisfaction, positive and negative affect, and burnout) of athletes and the indirect relationship of basic psychological needs. The sample consisted of 252 (boys) players aged between 13 and 15. The model data fit was also verified. The results demonstrated that the transformational leadership behaviors of coaches were indirectly related to athletes' psychological health. Team cohesion was related to athletes' psychological health both directly and indirectly. Basic psychological needs played an indirect role in these relationships. Transformational leadership and team cohesion have important implications for the healthy development of young people.

Social factors and psychological characteristics can influence selection and development in talent pathways. However, the interaction between these two factors is relatively unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the implications of socioeconomic status and psychological characteristics in English academy soccer players ( n  = 58; aged 11 to 16 years). To assess socioeconomic status, participants' home postcodes were coded according to each individual's social classification and credit rating, applying the UK General Registrar Classification system and Cameo TM geodemographic database, respectively. Participants also completed the six factor Psychological Characteristics for Developing Excellence Questionnaire (PCDEQ). A classification of 'higher-potentials' ( n  = 19) and 'lower-potentials' ( n  = 19) were applied through coach potential rankings. Data were standardised using z-scores to eliminate age bias and data were analysed using independent sample t-tests. Results showed that higher-potentials derived from families with significantly lower social classifications ( p  = 0.014) and reported higher levels for PCDEQ Factor 3 (coping with performance and developmental pressures) ( p  = 0.007) compared to lower-potentials. This study can be used to support the impetus for researchers and practitioners to consider the role of social factors and psychological characteristics when selecting and developing sporting talent. For example, facilitating player-centred development within an academy and, where necessary, providing individuals with additional support.

Psychological skills and characteristics (PSCs) are vital for player development, yet there is a lack of agreement on which are important and how they should be identified and developed in academy players, creating barriers to implementation into curricula. The key stakeholder with considerable insight into PSC development is the academy manager (AM). The aims of this study were (a) explore AMs' experiences of PSC identification and development, (b) identify challenges AMs feel affect development of PSCs. Nine AMs (i.e. Category 1; n  = 3, Category 2; n  = 3 and Category 3; n  = 3) comprising an average coaching experience of 20.4 ± 7.4 years and time in the role of 5.2 years ±3.2 years participated in semi-structured interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis generated themes identified ideal PSC outcomes that AMs felt were important. AMs identified current practices within academies alongside challenges: transitions, need to upskill coaches, access to additional support from external partners and National Governing Bodies. There was consensus that PSCs are key drivers of progression and that embedding them into the pathway was critical to facilitating development. Academies should think carefully about design, implementation and evaluation of programmes to support player PSC development for success during and after soccer careers.

The majority of a football referee's time is spent assessing open-play situations, yet little is known about how referees search for information during this uninterrupted play. The aim of the current study was to examine the exploratory gaze behaviour of elite and sub-elite football referees in open-play game situations. Four elite (i.e. national) and eight sub-elite (i.e. regional) referees officiated an in-situ football match while wearing a mobile eye-tracker to assess their gaze behaviour. Both referential head and eye movements (i.e. moving gaze away from and then back to the ball) were measured. Results showed gaze behaviour was characterised overall by more referential head than eye movements (~75 vs 25%), which were of longer duration (~950 vs 460 ms). Moreover, elite referees employed faster referential movements (~640 vs 730 ms), spending less time with their gaze away from the ball (carrier) than the sub-elite referees. Crucially, both the referential head and eye movements were coordinated relative to key events in the match, in this case passes, showing that referees anticipate the passes to ensure that the referential movements did not occur during passes, rather before or after. The results further our understanding of the coordinative gaze behaviours that underpin expertise in officiating.

Most studies on deception in soccer penalty kicks have focused on the deceptive actions used by penalty takers. However, it is worth noting that deception can also be played out by goalkeepers. To examine the effectiveness of goalkeepers' deceptive actions in professional competition, we analysed 714 penalty kicks taken during matches in the English Premier League and German Bundesliga, spanning the seasons from 2016-2017 to 2019-2020. We scored whether goalkeepers used deception, and if so, what type of deception, the outcome of the penalty and the kicking strategy of the penalty taker. The results showed that goalkeepers used deception in half of the penalty kicks, resulting in significantly less goals compared to penalties without deception. This advantage was similar for the different types of deception, but larger when penalty takers paid attention to goalkeepers. We propose that the deceptive actions by goalkeepers are effective, mainly because it leads the penalty taker to lose focus. The practical implications of these findings are discussed for both goalkeepers and penalty takers.

We compared the declarative tactical knowledge (DTK) of 196 male and female players (16.9 ± 2.4 years) belonging to the academy of a Spanish professional football club with their participation (minutes played), football competence (coaching staff assessment), and future potential (technical direction prediction). The DTK had no correlation with the minutes played (%) by the participants during the 2021-22 season (r = -.162, p = .045). Student's t test for independent samples compared the football competence of the participants with high DTK (n = 74) and low DTK (n = 76), proving a small impact (p = .021, d = 0.39) in favor of the first group. Although the high-DTK group showed a better average of potentiality, the technical direction identified more potential players for the first team in the low-DTK group. In conclusion, no solid evidence was found to justify that participants with higher DTK in each team were those who played more minutes and showed greater football competence and potentiality.

Background: The current understanding of the relationship between physical activity involvement and flourishing, as well as the underlying psychological mechanisms, remains limited. Building upon the basic psychological need theory, this study investigates whether and how engaging in physical activities, either as a spectator (e.g., in sports events such as the World Cup) or a participant, explains individual differences in flourishing., Methods: A total of 1201 Hong Kong-based Chinese adults (M age = 42.90, SD = 11.40; 54% female) completed an anonymous online survey from the quarter-final to final stages of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in December 2022., Results: Findings showed that spectator (World Cup) involvement and participant involvement were positively correlated. Moreover, both types of involvements were correlated with flourishing. In addition to the hypothesized positive association with relatedness satisfaction, spectator (World Cup) involvement was also demonstrated significant associations with autonomy and competence satisfaction. Path analysis indicated that associations between physical activities and flourishing were partially mediated by the satisfaction of all three basic psychological needs., Conclusions: This study is the first to apply the basic psychological need theory in the context of physical activity and supports its relevance in understanding individual differences in flourishing. Different stakeholders are encouraged to recognize the benefits of both spectator and participant involvements in physical activities, which may help them develop supportive strategies (e.g., physical activities with parents, sports events for spectators and participants, and funding for media/communities) in mental health promotion., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This study investigates the acute effect of physical exercise simulating a standard pre-competitive warm-up on the response suppression and decision-making of football referees. Thirty-four referees ( n  = 17 - regional level; n  = 17 - national level) participated in the study. A Stop-Signal Task (SST) and a decision-making video test were used to evaluate the referees' perceptual-cognitive functions. The findings revealed that the vigorous aerobic exercise acutely impacted basic cognitive functions, as indicated by decreased reaction time and decreased choice accuracy. However, higher-order cognitive functions such as response suppression and decision-making did not exhibit significant changes post-exercise. Based on these results, there is no evidence to suggest that a vigorous-intensity warm-up is likely to favour response suppression and decision-making factors in the initial phases of the game. National referees showed superior response suppression abilities (shorter stop-signal reaction times and lower probability of responding to the stop-signal) than regional referees, indicating that higher-level referees possess enhanced perceptual-cognitive skills, likely influenced by their experience. Further studies are required to determine whether these variables can be acutely improved through physical exercise. In this regard, our results suggest the need for alternative strategies in pre-competitive referee warm-ups if aiming to improve perceptual-cognitive skills in the initial phases of the game.

We aimed to examine the effects of Ramadan fasting (RF) and high-intensity short-term maximal performance on elite soccer players' shooting accuracy, executive function (EF), and perceptions. Sixteen Muslim elite players fasting during Ramadan underwent assessments before (BR), during (DR), and after Ramadan (AR). Soccer-specific technical performance was evaluated using the Loughborough Soccer Shooting Test (LSST) before and after a 5-metre shuttle run test (5mSRT), conducted at the same time-of-day (17:00 h). Performance metrics recorded included higher distance (HD), total distance (TD), and fatigue index (FI). RPE after a 5-min warm-up and each repetition of the 5mSRT were obtained, and the mean RPE score was calculated. Trail Making Test (TMT Parts A and B) were used after the warm-up and the 5mSRT. Perceived difficulty (PD) was assessed following the LSST. HD, TD, and FI were not affected by RF ( p  > 0.05). DR, RPE and accuracy scores in the LSST were significantly lower after the 5mSRT compared to BR (1.29 vs. 1.24 AU; 1.29 vs. 1.24, respectively). In conclusion, RF had no adverse effects on physical performance. However, when combined with high-intensity running sessions, RF may impact accuracy and PD, and these adverse effects seem to have been translated into EF.

Anticipation has been confirmed as a more valid measure for recognizing talented athletes than pattern recall alone. Anticipation of offensive processes in soccer, such as counter attacks and positional attacks, is essential for the sport. Additionally, the anticipation of elements such as the soccer ball, offensive and defensive players may also be affected by varied offensive processes. In this study, we combined anticipation with the pattern recall paradigm to measure the perceptual-cognitive skills of female soccer players across different age groups and offensive processes. Adult (U23) and adolescent (U15) female soccer players were recruited to complete the pattern anticipation task using coach-rated video segments. Our results show that adult female soccer players demonstrated greater accuracy in anticipating locations during positional attacks compared to adolescents, but no significant difference was observed during counter attacks. Furthermore, location anticipation accuracy is higher in all groups towards elements of the soccer ball and offensive players, but not defensive players, during counter attacks compared to positional attacks. These findings suggest that positional attack is the main advantage in perceptual-cognitive skills for adult female soccer players. Additionally, offensive processes and elements should be carefully considered when measuring perceptual-cognitive skills., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The purpose of the study was to develop new knowledge about the everyday realities when implementing periodised training programmes in professional soccer Academies. Specifically, this project enhances understanding in relation to 1) those stakeholders involved in periodised training programmes in professional soccer Academies, 2) factors that facilitate and constrain the design, implementation, and monitoring of periodised programmes, 3) the extent to which practitioners perceive that education programmes adequately prepared them for this aspect of their work. Academy managers, coaches and sport science support staff were approached to complete an online survey, with 30 individuals (33.6 ± 9.5 years old) agreeing to do so. Findings highlight that practitioners "have" to adapt their practices accordingly in response to contextually constraining factors. Here, the importance of developing richer insights into the social aspects of work in applied settings, greater recognition of facilitating and constraining factors, and an improved awareness and development of the educational interventions that can prepare practitioners in applied practice is emphasised.

The high cognitive and/or emotional demands of competition can lead to a state of mental fatigue which has shown to be detrimental to soccer performance. However, there is a need to further understand the true mental demands of soccer players. The aim of the present study was to analyze the influence of motivation and the perceived requirements of the next match on mental fatigue perceived by soccer players over the passing of a season. The combined effect of both variables on the perception of mental fatigue, as well as the influence of the time of the season on perceived mental fatigue, were also analyzed. Twenty-six semi-professional Spanish male players (M = 26.31 ± 5.18 years) participated in the present study, conducted during the 2020-2021 season. Perceived mental fatigue and motivation were measured at each training session. The perceived requirements of the next match were also measured in each of the competitive weeks. Linear mixed models were run with R Studio to examine the influence of motivation and the perceived difficulty of the next match on perceived mental fatigue, the combined effect of both variables on perceived mental fatigue, and the influence of the passing of the season on perceived mental fatigue. The results showed a negative and significant influence of motivation on perceived mental fatigue (p < 0.001) and a positive and significant influence of the perceived requirements of the next match on perceived mental fatigue (p < 0.001). Regarding the combined effect, there was a positive and significant effect (p < 0.01) of the perceived difficulty of the next match on the relation between motivation and perceived mental fatigue. A negative influence of season passage on perceived mental fatigue levels was found (p < 0.001). We recommended coaches to consider using the most motivating training tasks when higher next-match requirements are perceived and to be careful with avoidance strategies for mental fatigue, especially at the beginning of the season., (© 2024 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science In Sports published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Talent identification in sports is a complex process, whereby the aim is to identify, select and promote players who are considered to have the necessary skills and competencies (e.g., technical, tactical, and physical attributes) to succeed in senior adult competition. To support this process, this study focused on the development of a questionnaire to assist in the identification of talent among South African youth soccer players. This will establish a measure of the attributes coaches consider important when making talent identification decisions for outfield soccer players. The questionnaire was constructed following established instrument development phases. In phase 1, 61 questionnaire items were generated based on a review of the relevant literature. In phase 2, a panel of experts examined the content validity of the preliminary items. In phase 3, the provisional 59-item questionnaire (Talent Identification Questionnaire in Soccer for Outfield Players; TIDQ-OP) was administered to 173 experienced South African soccer coaches (130 males and 43 females) who ranged in age from 18 to 64 years. In phase 3, the factorial structure of the questionnaire was established through principal component analysis. The final questionnaire consisted of 58 items. These preliminary analyses indicate the usefulness of the TIDQ-OP as a tool to assist South African coaches in the identification and selection of talented players.

Objectives: This study tested a longitudinal model of relationships, based on self-determination theory, to determine whether motivational climate dimensions predicted young athletes' psychological need satisfaction and, in turn, personal and social responsibility., Design: We used a longitudinal design., Method: Youth soccer players (N = 161; M = 10.8 years-old, SD = 1.0 year) completed a survey at two time points, spaced 4 months apart, on average., Results: Several significant direct effects emerged. First, greater perceptions that coaches punished for mistakes predicted decreases in relatedness with coaches and teammates. Second, greater perceptions of relatedness with coaches and teammates predicted increases in personal and social responsibility. Indirect effects also emerged: (a) punishment for mistakes predicted decreases in personal responsibility and social responsibility, and (b) cooperative learning predicted increases in social responsibility, through effects on coach and teammate relatedness., Conclusions: Results suggest that coaches who provide opportunities for collaborative learning and minimize mistake-contingent punishment will foster athletes' sense of connection and enhance their psychosocial well-being., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The English Football Association (FA from hereon in) 4 Corner Model is a multidisciplinary framework that aims to enhance player talent identification and development, and is characterised by physical, social, technical/tactical and psychological components. Despite the framework being prominent within English football development pathways, player insights into the effectiveness of the framework in supporting academy to first team transitions are lacking. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore established first team professional footballer's perceptions of the FA 4 Corner Model, in relation to the attributes that they perceived to facilitate the successful transition to a professional first team environment. Twelve current ( n  = 8) and ex ( n  = 4) professional players who had successfully transitioned from a youth academy, and subsequently became an established first team player, were interviewed for the study. Interpretations across the qualitative data set highlighted the importance of players adapting to physical and tactical demands, while also dealing with different psychosocial factors when entering a first team setting. The study highlights that disparities can exist between players, coaches, practitioners, and sport scientists perceived development needs, a situation that could hinder players progression through the player pathway.

The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to examine the influence of the mental toughness (MT) trait on resilience, cognitive appraisals and perceived performance states and (2) to explore dynamic relationships between these states among soccer goalkeepers during a competitive season. Thirty-six soccer goalkeepers from regional to professional levels first voluntarily completed a questionnaire measuring their mental toughness. Subsequently, a single-item approach was used to assess resilience, cognitive appraisals (threat, loss, challenge and benefit) and subjective performance every 2 weeks for 4 months. Results of multilevel analyses showed that mental toughness significantly and positively predicted resilience, which significantly and positively predicted benefit appraisal and negatively predicted threat appraisal. Moreover, subjective performance was significantly and positively predicted by benefit appraisal. Our results also revealed the mediating role of resilience in the relationship between mental toughness and appraisals (threat and benefit) as well as the mediating role of benefit appraisal in the relationship between resilience and subjective performance. Practical applications are proposed to optimize the daily experiences of goalkeepers, such as creating a supportive climate.

The importance of both general and sport-specific perceptual-cognitive abilities in soccer players has been investigated in several studies. Although these perceptual-cognitive skills could contribute significantly to soccer players' expertise, the underlying cortical mechanisms have not been clarified yet. Examining activity changes in the prefrontal cortex under different cognitive demands may help to better understand the underlying mechanisms of sports expertise. The aim of this study was to analyse the prefrontal activity of soccer experts during general and sport-specific cognitive tasks. For this purpose, 39 semi-professional soccer players performed four perceptual-cognitive tests, two of which assessed general cognition, the other two assessed sport-specific cognition. Since soccer is a movement-intensive sport, two tests were performed in motion. While performing cognitive tests, prefrontal activity was recorded using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) (NIRSport, NIRx Medical Technologies, USA). Differences of prefrontal activity in general and sport-specific cognitive tasks were analysed using paired t-tests. The results showed significant increases in prefrontal activity during general cognitive tests (novel stimuli) compared to sport-specific tests (familiar stimuli). The comparatively lower prefrontal activity change during sport-specific cognition might be due to learned automatisms of experts in this field. These results seem in line with previous findings on novel and automated cognition, "repetition suppression theory" and "neural efficiency theory". Furthermore, the different cortical processes could be caused by altered prefrontal structures of experts and might represent a decisive factor for expertise in team sports. However, further research is needed to clarify the prefrontal involvement on expertise in general and sport-specific cognition.

The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly altered the way sporting events are observed. With the absence or limited presence of spectators in stadiums, the traditional advantage enjoyed by home teams has diminished considerably. This underscores the notion that the support of home fans can often be considered a key factor of the home advantage (HA) phenomenon, wherein teams perform better in front of their own supporters. However, the impact of reduced attendance on games with higher stakes, as opposed to low-stakes friendly matches, remains uncertain. In this study, we investigate the recently concluded European football championship (EURO 20), wherein several teams had the advantage of playing at home in high-stakes games with only one-third of the stadium capacity filled. Firstly, we demonstrate that the Covid-19 restrictions, leading to reduced fan attendance, resulted in a nearly 50% decrease in HA compared to the HA exhibited by the same teams during the qualification stage preceding EURO 20, even after accounting for team strength. Secondly, we show that while low-stakes friendly matches generally exhibit a smaller overall HA compared to high-stakes games, the absence of fans led to a similar reduction in HA during the low-stakes matches. Utilizing the recently developed Home Advantage Mediated (HAM) model (Bilalić, Gula, & Vaci, 2021, Scientific Reports, 21558), we were able to attribute the reduction in both high- and low-stakes games to poorer team performance, with no significant contribution from referee bias., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Home advantage and referee bias are two sport factors that have been widely studied in the football (i.e., soccer) context. However, the mediating effect of spectators on these factors is not well understood, especially in the Turkish Super League. We examined (a) how variables of home advantage, referee bias, and spectator presence interacted to affect the outcome of past football matches; (b) how these variables have changed over time in the Turkish Super League; (c) and whether home advantage and referee bias differ in matches with spectators and ghost matches (without spectators). We analyzed regular season matches played in the Turkish Super League between the 2014-2015 and 2021-2022 seasons. We found that home teams had a significant advantage over away teams in matches with spectators ( p < .001) and in ghost matches ( p < .05 and p < .001), with small to medium effect sizes ( d = .09 and .34, respectively). Regarding referee bias, away teams received more yellow cards and fewer penalties than home teams in matches with spectators ( p < .001; d = -.10), and away teams received fewer yellow cards than home teams in ghost matches ( p > .05; d = .05). There was no statistically significant difference between home and away teams on number of red cards in either type of match ( p > .05). Thus, our data reveal that home teams have an edge over away teams with and without spectators, but this advantage is reduced during ghost matches (without spectators). We also revealed weak evidence of referee bias in favor of home teams, but only for some variables and only when spectators were present., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Tracking and measuring elements of performance is a well-established feature of practice in football academies. Player characteristics are considered, tracked, and measured using a variety of methods, with curricula often devised based on perceived importance and data interpretation. Against this breadth, our aim was to investigate the policies and systems in place at category one and two English football academies. Specifically, our objectives were (a) to understand what factors academies believe are important in the development of their players, (b) explore what academies are tracking and how they measure performance, and (c) analyse the extent to which these factors are integrated into the player's curricula. A total of 15 participants with over 10 years' experience across 40 Talent Development (TD) environments were recruited to participate in semi-structured interviews. Using Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA), generated themes suggest that academies perceive a differential weighting between performance factors, with greatest importance placed on technical, tactical and psychological factors. A lack of clear measurement systematisation was often apparent. Finally, we identified methods of player curricula integration. We conclude by offering implications for academies to optimise integration of systems and processes that measure and track their players development.

We examined the effects of different small-sided games (SSG) configurations on heart rate (HR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and running demands in soccer players. Twelve male soccer players (U18) participated in this randomized cross-over study. Players performed three SSG in different "fixed" and "dynamic" pitch sizes (3v3 in large (SSG L ) and small (SSG S ) fixed area; or 3v3 in dynamic dimensions [SSG D ]), with 4x4 minutes interspersed by 2 minutes of rest. HR measures (maximum [HR max ], average [HR avg ], and percentage of maximum [%HR max ]), RPE, and running demands were collected across the SGG sessions. The following running activities were recorded: total distance covered (TD), distance covered (DC) at 6-12 km·h -1 , ≥ 12-18 km·h -1 , and >18 km·h -1 , peak running speed, acceleration (ACC) and deceleration (DEC) at 1-2 m·s -2 and 2-3 m·s -2 , player load, and high metabolic load distance (HMLD). SSG L displayed higher HR avg , %HR max , and RPE values than SSG S ( p < 0.05). SSG L resulted in higher TD, DC at 6-12 km·h -1 , ≥ 12-18 km·h -1 , > 18 km·h -1 , and higher peak speed than SSG S and SSG D ( p < 0.05). Moreover, SSG D presented higher TD and DC at 6-12 km·h -1 and ≥ 12-18 km·h -1 than SSG S ( p < 0.05). In contrast, SSG D and SSG S showed higher number of ACC and DEC at 1-2 m·s -2 than SSG L ( p < 0.05). In conclusion, the pitch size and playing area of the SSG can be manipulated to promote desired physiological and physical demands in young soccer players. Highlights We examined how fixed (small and large) or variable (dynamic) pitch sizes affected the psychophysiological and running demands of young soccer players during small-sided games.Small-sided games with larger pitch sizes and areas per player elicited greater psychophysiological and running demands than small areas.The pitch size designed in the current study does not appear to affect the number of acceleration and deceleration (> 2 m·s -2 ).Varying the pitch size during the small-sided games (i.e. dynamic condition) could be an interesting constraint to be considered by soccer coaches in order to enhance task variability.

Despite the importance placed on the design and delivery of formal coach education programs by Football Australia, there remains a lack of research relating to how formal coach education strategies support Australian football (i.e., soccer) coaches and their coaching practices. Through a series of semi-structured interviews, 20 highly qualified and experienced Australian senior football coaches shared their perspectives on: (i) coach education, (ii) their role as coach, and (iii) practice design. Findings revealed that formal coach education in Australia was largely ineffective in preparing senior coaches for the realities of senior football. Coaches attributed this to a number of factors, including the content's quality, structure and delivery, which they viewed as rudimentary, outdated, repetitive and lacking in relevance and depth. Coaches also revealed there was an expectation of conformity to the content and practices endorsed by the National Football Curriculum, limiting the value and impact of formal coach education in supporting the development of coaches' theoretical and practical dispositions. These findings point towards a number of broad and systemic issues relating to the conceptual, theoretical and practical foundations of the National Football Curriculum and subsequent courses. If Football Australia are to reach their goal in designing and delivering effective and meaningful coach education programs that support the highly complex and multifaceted role of senior coaching, formal coach education may need to adapt and evolve in a manner that better supports the multi-dimensional and context-specific needs of Australian senior football coaches., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Selimi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)