How do you control yourself under extreme pressure? Our research shows: football players who start their penalty kick run-up quickly have less probability of scoring than those who wait a few seconds. Thread with evidence from Copa America/Euros (1/4)
researchgate.net/publication/22…
researchgate.net/publication/22…
Players who scored their kicks in the 2021 Copa America penalty shootouts took on average 2.5 seconds to start after the referee’s whistle, while those who missed took 1.4 seconds. Paraguay’s Angel Romero (goal) with the longest wait: 6.3 seconds (2/4)
Players who scored in the Euros took on average 2.5 seconds to react to the whistle, those who missed took 0.9 seconds. Pogba & Belotti (goals) both waited 6.5 seconds. Notable players in a rush, who missed: Mbappé, Sergio Busquets, Rodri, and Morata – all below 0.5 seconds (3/4)
Quick reaction is a way to seek relief from stress (by ending the painful wait), but rushing may cause players to make simple mistakes. However, the exceptions/outliers show this is complex. Pausing is only productive if players use that time to deliberately obtain control (4/4)
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