RISE TO THE OCCASION
Whether you’re playing in a world cup quarter-final or a county cup final, remaining composed and playing with a calm mind is extremely important for footballing success. However, sometimes we can lose control and let the moment get the better of us.
Approaching a game of this magnitude with nerves is to be expected, but we want to prevent that nervous energy from spilling over and affecting our game. We all have individualised zones for optimum functioning, with some players needing to be extremely stimulated (Hyped up) and others needing moderate to low levels of stimulation. Games like these naturally cause a higher level of stimulation, due to the pressure to perform well. Pair this with a few questionable calls from the referee and your opponent’s getting away with some rough tackles, now you can see players creep out of their zone of optimal functioning and begin to play driven by their emotions. Resulting in rash tackles, drifting out of position, and loss of flow state.
It was evident that this happened to a few of the players at the weekend. Comparing their body language to previous games it was clear to see an increase in expressive behaviours as the game went on, and with that accompanied some emotional decision-making.
Developing self-awareness about your optimal state for footballing performance will help you identify when you begin to move out of that zone, and then you can implement mental techniques to return to that zone.
HOW TO APPROACH PRESSURE PENALTIES
Penalty kicks are not a lottery! Take control of your performance and learn the correct mental skills to facilitate this process.
There are two ways to approach penalties as a kick taker, goalkeeper-independent or goalkeeper-dependent.
Goalkeeper-independent approach – This is most commonly used within football and is often known as the ‘pick a spot and stick with it’ approach. This technique will provide the most accuracy, as you can drill this regularly; as well as it allows you to engage in skills such as quiet-eye training in your pre-performance routine, which will help you perform with a quiet mind and increase your accuracy. However, the problem occurs when the keeper dives in the direction you intend to place the ball, which happened in Kane’s second penalty. This will result in the kick taker experiencing a fleeting moment of doubt where they have to make a snap decision. Often, they will try to compensate by trying to find the corner, placing it where it's virtually impossible to reach. Although, this frequently results in the ball flying wide or screaming over the crossbar.
Goalkeeper-dependent approach – This isn’t used as frequently in football, however, Matt Le Tissier, one of the best penalty-takers the world has ever seen, and Ivan Toney, currently one of the best penalty kick-takers, use this technique for every kick. This is a flexible approach, where the penalty taker will wait for the goalkeeper to move before deciding to slot the ball into the other side of the goal. The keeper HAS to move before the ball is struck, as the flight time of the ball is faster than their movement time. Knowing this, the penalty taker can wait for the keeper's movement and capitalise on their time advantage.
5 TIPS TO REMAIN COMPOSED IN GAME
There will always be situations in a game that will test your composure. Whether that be a series of decisions from the referee that go against you or the player you’re marking getting away with some questionable challenges and talking trash in your ear after each play. Here are some tips to remain psychologically flexible, and play with composure for the full 90 minutes:
Zone of optimal functioning. Identify what level of pressure you perform best at. Once you know this you can learn how to reach and maintain that zone.
Cue words. Develop a series of cue words that represent the desired emotional and physiological state that you wish to experience whilst playing football. This should align with your individual zone of optimal functioning.
Breath. Breathing techniques such as centering, followed by box breathing can reduce your levels of arousal in those moments following a rough tackle from an opponent that was missed by the referee.
Imagery. We can use visualisation to reduce a stimulated state. This is challenging to do within a game, however, use moments when the ball is out of play or another VAR decision is being made, to engage in this process.
Teammate accountability. Communicate with your teammates to ensure that you’re all remaining composed during a game, especially after a controversial call from the referee. Know their zones of optimal functioning and the cue words that keep them in that zone. Support one another.
Start to watch how other footballers keep cool, calm, and collected on the big stage, and reflect on where this could be used in your game. I would love to hear how you remain composed during a game, so please feel free to share in the comments! If you would like help developing mental skills that will keep your head in the game for the full 90 minutes, then please get in contact with me at robin@autonomypsychology.com
Best Wishes
Robin Hughes
Mental Performance Coach and Sports Counsellor located near Chelmsford, Essex, UK supporting athletes, exercisers, and coaches worldwide with Online Sports Psychology Services. Specialising in working within the fitness industry.
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