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Mind games

Olivia Gerstenberger / alDecember 10, 2014

Why does Cristiano Ronaldo keep scoring goals? And why do coaches often look so grumpy? The role of psychology is often forgotten in football and a player's mental state can decide a game.

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Cristiano Ronaldo
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Juan Carlos Hidalgo

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"The most important thing is how you perform on the pitch," Borussia Dortmund Adi Preissler once famously said. That's true, but it's not the whole story. If it was, why do teams that are going through a long losing streak vary their changing rooms or opt for different jerseys? Or what about the coaches who like to stick with the same blue pullover for weeks at a time, as long as they keep winning? It's clear, the mental side of things, as well as superstitions, play a big role in football.

It's even scientifically proven, says Daniel Memmert from the German Sport University Cologne. "We believe that in top level sport, especially in football, the mental side of football is playing an increasingly bigger role."

When it comes to strength, conditioning and coordination "many teams are at the same level," says Memmert. Still, "training for the mind is often forgotten."

Ronaldo's supreme body language

It's not just about making the right decisions. A good footballer also thinks at times in 'divergent' ways, says the sports psychologist. That means, he or she finds original and creative options, so that the opponent is left guessing.

Manuel Neuer
Body language from the penalty spot can often affect how well the keeper reactsImage: picture-alliance/Eibner-Presse

Mental regeneration is also key, but often forgotten. "If a coach knows that his players like to be at home, relaxing, then it perhaps isn't such a good idea to round up the players in a hotel the night before a game."

There's also a lot of proof to suggest that body language can have a big effect on teammates and opposing players. It's especially noticeable during dead ball situations.

"If you are taking a penalty and you walk up to the spot confidently, then the goalkeeper gets a feeling: 'Oh, this is a good player, I'm probably not going to stop this'," Memmert told DW.

"But if you are slouched over, with your shoulders down, then keepers associate that with weakness, and they get the feeling that they can stop the ball," he adds.

The same can be said for a free kick. Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is famous for his pre-kick stance, standing with his legs apart and his chest out. Scientists say this is the right approach. Positive body language, combined with repeated preparation and movement, is the best way to maximize performance.

The role of superstition

Repeated preparation methods also exist off the pitch too, in the form of superstitions. Some strikers only ever take to the pitch if they put their right sock on first, then there are goalkeepers who like to take their lucky charm with them into the goal. Surprisingly, there's also a body of research supporting that this sort of superstitious behavior really does help.

Daniel Memmert
Daniel Memmert says superstitions are an important part of footballImage: Kenny Beele

Memmert, who has recently written a book on the mental aspects of playing football, reports of a comparable study done with golfers. One group of players were equipped with balls which they had already played with successfully. The other group were given 'bad luck' balls, that they had used before and failed with. The results were clear: the golfers playing with their favorite ball did actually play better than those playing with the other balls. Similar results have been recorded for athletes who use lucky charms, which they were either allowed to take with them when playing, or forced to give up before competition.

"In psychology we assume that self-efficacy processes do play a role in the background," Memmert says. "If you feel good, you have more self confidence to complete your task because you know that you have the support you need. You have something there, which is a positive addition."

But football's psychological battles don't just take place out on the pitch. Sometimes fans can influence the mental processes of referees too, for instance. Experiments show that the way that home fans interact with the referee influences how many yellow cards he or she awards in a game, and thereby sometimes the outcome of the game

"Even if referees out there won't want to hear it: away teams receive, on average, half a yellow card more per game than home teams do," Memmert confirms.