Psychology

Professor of Philosophy and Metaphysics at Durham University, Stephen Mumford, in his book Football, the Philosophy Behind the Game (Polity, 2019) explained that part of the secret of this sport is that no one ever knows what is going to happen. That is the beauty of it. Within that uncertainty, he went on, the penalty spot has a special significance. It is the scene of so much excitement, heartbreak, and joy, especially in a penalty shoot-out. This is one of the aspects of the match that players cannot control, according to this professor. The goalkeeper cannot control where the shooter kicks and vice versa, even though some deceiving techniques are used.

In team sports, playing time that players enjoy in competition is a limited resource which is highly valued by athletes. In handball, for example, the coach should distribute 420 minutes of playing time (60 minutes per game x 7 players) among at least 16 players, which means an average of just 26 minutes per player. In football, the 990 minutes (90 minutes x 11 players) should be distributed among over 25 athletes. In this case, footballers should settle with a maximum average of 40 minutes per game. As a consequence of this fact, intrateam rivalry and fight for playing time are prominent characteristics in elite team sports.

One of the most widespread myths in football is the existence of the psychological goal. A psychological goal is scored in the last minutes of the first half, just before the game is stopped and the teams go to the changing rooms. The belief is that receiving a goal at that very moment can damage the players’ confidence in their chances of winning the game. Is it true that psychological goals exist? Do the teams that receive a goal in the decisive moments of the first half end up losing the game?

There are many fears, but as Lovecraft wrote, the greatest human fear has always been the unknown, one of the great geniuses of horror stories. We have lived it since our earliest childhood. Not knowing what is in that dark room or who we will face on the pitch is always more disturbing than the realisation that there is a monster under the bed or that we are playing against the favourite in all betting games. Because the rival may be impregnable, but it is there, we know of its existence, and we can begin to think about what to do or how to act. Firm-ground that we cannot step on if we do not have any information.

As sports science research advances, the close relationship between the mind and physical performance is increasingly apparent. For example, a recent study published in the magazine Retos from the FEADEF (Spanish Federation of Teachers in Physical Education) on the relationship between motor and mental skills concluded that high cardiorespiratory endurance is associated with a more extraordinary memory, mathematical calculation, speed of linguistic reasoning and creativity in adolescents, regardless of age and gender.

Self-control is an essential trait for a coach. Having emotional control allows you to manage situations better when you must make decisions. That is why a coach should not be too affected by a defeat or a victory. The consequences of a poor psychological adjustment can lead to incorrectly assessing what has happened, wrongly ascribing responsibility for success or failure, and adopting unfortunate implications for the next match.

Meet Evelina Cabrera, a former professional football player, a current football coach and trainer, an activist transforming women’s football in Latin America, and in her spare time, a Barça Universitas student. We caught up with Evelina to talk about her studies, her on-going and future projects, and her views on the current and future situation of women’s football.

Celebrating a goal is an excellent time to check the mental health of a team.1 Immediately after scoring a goal, the player and the team that has scored become the centre of attention of the audience and the media. The actions that football players do in those seconds of joy allow assessing a team’s internal functioning and checking cohesion among the players.

Top-level athletes are getting older and older. Technology, materials, nutrition, preparation, injury prevention, financial investment, scientific knowledge, and the excellent level of coaches are some of the factors that have lengthened players’ careers.

We cannot deny the power of nostalgia in our lives. It is a unique defense mechanism, the result of our evolution, and the incredible time machine that we have in our head, our brain.