Geir Jordet

• Pokolm, Marius; Kirchhain, Marie; Müller, Daniel; Jordet, Geir & Memmert, Daniel (2023). Head movement direction in football - a field study on visual scanning activity during the UEFA-U17 and -U21 European Championship 2019. Journal of Sports Sciences. ISSN 0264-0414. 41(7), p. 695–705. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2023.2235160. Show summary

  Visual exploration (scanning) of one’s environment is a key aspect in team sports. Based on Gibson’s (1979) ecological approach of visual perception, this study aims to advance the understanding of scanning by focusing on the direction of head movements in football and its implications for subsequent on-ball actions. The video-based data analysis consisted of nine selected matches and 162 players of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) U17 and U21 European Championship 2019. The results indicate that the direction of the last scan prior to receiving the ball is related to the foot used for the first ball contact. This relationship was further analysed in view of the game context (direction of play and opponent pressure) and with information about the player’s dominant foot. The findings reveal a relationship between the direction of the last scan before receiving the ball and the direction the game is proceeded in. Further, when a player performs the last scan to the side of their dominant foot, the probability increases that their dominant foot is used for the subsequent first ball contact. Depending on the direction of the last scan, opponent pressure had various effects on the foot used for the first contact.

• Pokolm, Marius; Rein, Robert; Müller, Daniel; Nopp, Stephan; Kirchhain, Marie & Aksum, Karl Marius [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2022). Modeling Players' Scanning Activity in Football. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology (JSEP). ISSN 0895-2779. 44(4), p. 263–271. doi: 10.1123/jsep.2020-0299. Show summary

  The purpose of this study was to develop and test models of scanning activity in football. Gibson’s ecological approach of visual perception and exploratory activity provided the theoretical framework for the models. The video-based data analysis consisted of 17 selected matches and 239 players of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) U17 and U19 European Championship 2018 and the UEFA U17 and U21 European Championship 2019. The results showed a positive relation between scanning frequency and successful passes, as well as changes in body orientation. Scanning frequency was also related to a player’s appearances in national teams and to opponent pressure. Opponent pressure had a large effect on pass result and the player’s body orientation. Previous research on the relation between scanning frequency and performance was extended by several contextual predictors. Future research should focus on gaining a deeper understanding of the relation between scanning frequency and further contextual variables related to scanning.

• Aksum, Karl Marius; Brotangen, Lars; Bjørndal, Christian T.; Magnaguagno, Lukas & Jordet, Geir (2021). Scanning activity of elite football players in 11 vs. 11 match play: An eye-tracking analysis on the duration and visual information of scanning. PLOS ONE. ISSN 1932-6203. 16(8). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244118. Show summary

  Visual perception in football ("soccer" in the U.S.) is increasingly becoming a key area of interest for researchers and practitioners. This exploratory case study investigated a sub-set of visual perception, namely visual exploratory scanning. The aim of this study was to examine the scanning of four elite football midfield players in an 11 vs. 11 real-game environment using mobile eye-tracking technology. More specifically, we measured the duration and information (number of teammates and opponents) of the players' scanning behavior. The results showed that the players' scanning duration was influenced by the ball context and the action undertaken with the ball at the moment of scan initiation. Furthermore, fixations were found in only 2.3% of the scans. Additionally, the results revealed that the stop point is the most information-rich part of a scan and that the players had more opponents than teammates inside their video frame during scans. Practical applications and further research recommendations are presented.

• Aksum, Karl Marius; Pokolm, Marius; Bjørndal, Christian T.; Rein, Robert; Memmert, Daniel & Jordet, Geir (2021). Scanning activity in elite youth football players. Journal of Sports Sciences. ISSN 0264-0414. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2021.1935115. Show summary

  The purpose of this study was to analyse the scanning behaviour of elite youth football players across different playing positions and age groups during high-level matches. Data was obtained by filming the 2018 UEFA European U17 and U19 Championship semi-finals and finals. A total of 53 outfield players from the four teams that reached the finals were analysed in both their respective semi-final and final matches, resulting in a total of 1686 attacking play situations. Ecological psychology provided us with the theoretical rationale for the study and informed our research hypotheses and interpretations. We found that U19 players performed more scans than U17 players. A positive relationship between scan frequency and pass success was also found. The results further suggest that opponent pressure and pitch position are both critical contextual factors that may influence scanning behaviour. In addition, central midfielders and central defenders were found to have higher scan frequencies than players in other positions. Our results support and extend previous research, suggesting that playing positions and age groups are important factors that impact visual perception and specifically scanning in football. Potential implications for coaches and recommendations for future studies are discussed.

• Jordet, Geir; Aksum, Karl Marius; Pedersen, Daniel Nordheim; Walvekar, Anup; Trivedi, Arjav & McCall, Alan [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2020). Scanning, Contextual Factors, and Association With Performance in English Premier League Footballers: An Investigation Across a Season. Frontiers in Psychology. ISSN 1664-1078. 11. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.553813. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Scanning in football (soccer) denotes an active head movement where a player’s face is temporarily directed away from the ball to gather information in preparation for subsequently engaging with the ball. The aim of this study was to learn more about the ways that 27 elite professional football players in an English Premier League club use scanning in competitive matches, the conditions under which this behavior is exhibited, and the relationships between these behaviors and performance. Players were filmed across 21 matches, producing a total number of 9,574 individual ball possessions for analysis. Close-up video analyses of scanning show positional differences (with central midfielders and central defenders scanning most frequently, forwards least) and contextual differences (with relatively lower scanning frequency in situations with tight opponent pressure, in positions wide in the field and closer to the opponent’s goal, and under certain game state conditions). Players scan more frequently prior to giving passes than when they dribble, shoot, or only receive it, as well as prior to more long/forward passes compared to short/backward ones, although these differences are small. A Bayesian hierarchical model, which accounts for individual player differences and pass difficulty, suggests that the more a player scans, the higher the probability of completing a pass. In conclusion, match demands are likely to constrain the extent to which highly elite players scan, and scanning seems to have a small, but positive role in elite football players’ performance.

• Aksum, Karl Marius; Magnaguagno, Lukas; Bjørndal, Christian T. & Jordet, Geir (2020). What Do Football Players Look at? An Eye-Tracking Analysis of the Visual Fixations of Players in 11 v 11 Elite Football Match Play. Frontiers in Psychology. ISSN 1664-1078. 11. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.562995. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Current knowledge of gaze behavior in football has primarily originated from eye-tracking research in laboratory settings. Using eye-tracking with elite players in a real-world 11 v 11 football game, this exploratory case study examined the visual fixations of midfield players in the Norwegian premier league. A total of 2,832 fixations by five players, aged 17–23 years (M = 19.84), were analyzed. Our results show that elite football midfielders increased their fixation duration when more information sources became available to them. Additionally, participants used shorter fixation durations than previously reported in laboratory studies. Furthermore, significant differences in gaze behavior between the attack and defense phases were found for both areas of interest and fixation location. Lastly, fixation locations were mainly on the ball, opponent, and teammate category and the player in possession of the ball. Combined, the results of this study enhance the knowledge of how elite footballers use their vision when playing under actual match-play conditions. They also suggest that laboratory designs may not be able to capture the dynamic environment that footballers experience in competition.

• McGuckian, Thomas; Cole, Michael; Chalkley, Daniel; Jordet, Geir & Pepping, Gert-Jan (2020). Constraints on visual exploration of youth football players during 11v11 match-play: The influence of playing role, pitch position and phase of play. Journal of Sports Sciences. ISSN 0264-0414. 38(6), p. 658–668. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2020.1723375. Show summary

  Visual exploratory action, in which football players turn their head to perceive their environment, improves prospective performance with the ball during match-play. This scanning action, however, is relevant for players throughout the entire match, as the information perceived through visual exploration is needed to guide movement around the pitch during both offensive and defensive play. This study aimed to understand how a player’s on-pitch position, playing role and phase of play influenced the visual exploratory head movements of players during 11v11 match-play. Twenty-two competitive-elite youth footballers (M = 16.25 years) played a total of 1,623 minutes (M = 73.8). Inertial measurement units, global positioning system units and notational analysis were used to quantify relevant variables. Analyses revealed that players explored more extensively when they were in possession of the ball, and less extensively during transition phases, as compared to team ball-possession and opposition ball-possession phases of play. Players explored most extensively when in the back third of the pitch, and least when they were in the middle third of the pitch. Playing role, pitch position and phase of play should be considered as constraints on visual exploratory actions when developing training situations aimed at improving the scanning actions of players.

• Alfano, Helen; Collins, Dave & Jordet, Geir (2019). Working in the jungle : how should elite sport practitioners operate and be developed? In Collins, Dave; Cruickshank, Andrew & Jordet, Geir (Ed.), Routledge handbook of elite sport performance. Routledge. ISSN 9781138290303. p. 374–383. doi: 10.4324/9781315266343-43.
• Tufte, Olaf & Jordet, Geir (2019). Staying at the top in Olympic rowing for 25 years. In Collins, Dave; Cruickshank, Andrew & Jordet, Geir (Ed.), Routledge handbook of elite sport performance. Routledge. ISSN 9781138290303. p. 335–342. doi: 10.4324/9781315266343-38.
• Hiddink, Guus & Jordet, Geir (2019). The coach nomad. In Collins, Dave; Cruickshank, Andrew & Jordet, Geir (Ed.), Routledge handbook of elite sport performance. Routledge. ISSN 9781138290303. p. 302–309. doi: 10.4324/9781315266343-34.
• Paquet, Frédéric & Jordet, Geir (2019). Managing a professional football club. In Collins, Dave; Cruickshank, Andrew & Jordet, Geir (Ed.), Routledge handbook of elite sport performance. Routledge. ISSN 9781138290303. p. 253–257. doi: 10.4324/9781315266343-28.
• Barr, Andy & Jordet, Geir (2019). Keeping them on the pitch. In Collins, Dave; Cruickshank, Andrew & Jordet, Geir (Ed.), Routledge handbook of elite sport performance. Routledge. ISSN 9781138290303. p. 133–142. doi: 10.4324/9781315266343-15.
• Jordet, Geir (2019). Working with psychology in professional football. In Collins, Dave; Cruickshank, Andrew & Jordet, Geir (Ed.), Routledge handbook of elite sport performance. Routledge. ISSN 9781138290303. p. 114–132. doi: 10.4324/9781315266343-14.
• Fairchild, Steve & Jordet, Geir (2019). Specialist coaching : coaching quarterbacks in NFL, college and high school. In Collins, Dave; Cruickshank, Andrew & Jordet, Geir (Ed.), Routledge handbook of elite sport performance. Routledge. ISSN 9781138290303. p. 58–64.
• Olsen, Egil Roger & Jordet, Geir (2019). Coaching a national team in professional football. In Collins, Dave; Cruickshank, Andrew & Jordet, Geir (Ed.), Routledge handbook of elite sport performance. Routledge. ISSN 9781138290303. p. 31–38. doi: 10.4324/9781315266343-5.
• McGuckian, Thomas B.; Cole, Michael H.; Chalkley, Daniel; Jordet, Geir & Pepping, Gert-Jan (2019). Visual Exploration When Surrounded by Affordances: Frequency of Head Movements Is Predictive of Response Speed. Ecological psychology. ISSN 1040-7413. 31(1), p. 30–48. doi: 10.1080/10407413.2018.1495548. Show summary

  Little is known about the actions supporting exploration and theirrelation to subsequent actions in situations when participants aresurrounded by opportunities for action. Here, the movements thatsupport visual exploration were related to performance in an envel-oping football (soccer) passing task. Head movements of experiencedfootball players were quantified with inertial measurement units. In asimulated football scenario, participants completed a receiving–passing task that required them to indicate pass direction to one offour surrounding targets, as quickly as they could after they gainedsimulated ball possession. The frequency of head movements beforeand after gaining ball possession and the pass response times wererecorded. We controlled exploration time—the time before gainingsimulated ball possession—to be 1, 2, or 3 seconds. Exploration timesignificantly influenced the frequency of head movements, and ahigher frequency of head turns before gaining ball possessionresulted in faster pass responses. Exploratory action influencedsubsequent performatory action. That is, higher frequencies of headmovements resulted in faster decisions. Implications for research andpractice are discussed.

• Jordet, Geir & Pepping, Gert-Jan (2019). Flipping sport psychology theory into practice : a context- and behavior-centered approach. In Cappuccio, Massimiliano L. (Eds.), Handbook of Embodied Cognition and Sport Psychology. MIT Press. ISSN 9780262348171. p. 75–98.
• McGuckian, Thomas B; Cole, Michael H; Jordet, Geir; Chalkley, Daniel & Pepping, Gert-Jan (2018). Don't turn blind! The relationship between exploration before ball possession and on-ball performance in association football. Frontiers in Psychology. ISSN 1664-1078. 9. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02520. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Visual exploratory action – scanning movements expressed through left and right rotation of the head – allows perception of a surrounding environment and supports prospective actions. In the dynamically changing football environment, the extent to which exploratory action benefits a player’s subsequent performance with the ball is likely influenced by how and when the exploratory action occurs. Although few studies have examined the relationship between visual exploration and on-pitch football performance, it has been reported that a higher frequency of exploratory head movement up to 10-s before receiving the ball increases the likelihood of successful performance with the ball. This study investigated the relationship between head turn frequency and head turn excursion, and how and when exploratory head movement – within 10-s before ball possession – is related to performance with the ball in 11v11 match-play. Thirty-two semi-elite football players competed in 11v11 match-play. Head turn frequency and head turn excursion before ball possession were quantified with wearable inertial measurement units, and actions with the ball were coded via notational analysis. Odds ratio calculations were conducted to determine the associations between exploration variables and on-ball performance outcomes. A total of 783 actions with the ball were analyzed. Results revealed a strong relationship between head turn frequency and head turn excursion. Further, a higher than average head turn frequency and head turn excursion before receiving the ball resulted in a higher likelihood of turning with the ball, playing a pass in the attacking direction, and playing a pass to an area that is opposite to which it was received from. The strength of these outcomes varied for different time periods before receiving the ball. When players explored their environment with higher than average head turn frequency and excursion, they used more complex action opportunities afforded by the surrounding environment. Considerations for future research and practical implications are discussed.

• Brink, Michel S.; Kuyvenhoven, Jurian P; Toering, Tryntsje Tsjitske; Jordet, Geir & Frencken, Wouter G P (2018). What do football coaches want from sport science? Kinesiology. ISSN 1331-1441. 50, p. 150–154. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Sport science can contribute to the body of knowledge that influences practice and performance. Despite this, knowledge transfer from sport science to football coaches needs further improvement. The present study’s purpose is to gain insight in current sport science needs and perceived barriers among professional football coaches. A 20 questions digital survey was sent to a database of professional football coaches. Answering options were: check boxes, open fields, and 5-point Likert scales. 75 football coaches (mean ± SD age: 50.0±10.1 years) completed the survey. Coaches had 24.3±7.0 years of experience as a player and 25.5±13.7 years as a coach, and five had a university degree. The coaches evaluated their technical and tactical knowledge as good. Knowledge on physical skills was rated slightly lower and knowledge on mental skills lowest, but still fair. Top five of domains that the coaches wanted to know more were Mental skills, Physical skills, Group dynamics, Monitoring load and capacity, and Talent development. The top 5 perceived barriers for using sport science in daily football practice was Conservatism in clubs, Lack of money, Lack of specific football knowledge of scientists, Poor applicability of sports science in practice, and Lack of time. Personal contact with sport scientists was most preferred to gain knowledge in sport science. Results suggest that there is an interest in applying sport scientific knowledge into football practice. An overview of coaches’ sport science knowledge gaps and perceived implementation barriers could improve the integration of sport science and practical knowledge in work environments.

• Hofseth, Erik; Toering, Tryntsje Tsjitske; Jordet, Geir & Ivarsson, Andreas (2017). Self-Evaluation of Skills and Performance Level in Youth Elite Soccer: Are Positive Self-Evaluations Always Positive? Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology. ISSN 2157-3905. 6(4), p. 370–383. doi: 10.1037/spy0000094. Show summary

  This study compared youth elite soccer players’ and their coaches’ evaluations of players’ skill level, and examined how this comparison was related to players’ future performance level concerning national team experience. Based on the notions of the self-serving bias, it was predicted that players who overestimated their skill level relative to their coaches’ judgment, would be characterized by a high performance level in the past and a relative low future performance level, due to relatively high levels of performance anxiety and a frequent use of self-protection strategies. Results showed that the players (N = 267, Mage = 17.6, SD = 1.1), in reference to their coach, tended to overestimate their skills. This tendency was negatively related to players’ future performance level. Specifically, when controlling for age, past performance level, and current performance level, a multinomial regression analysis [χ2 (18, N = 238) = 76.95, p < .01] revealed that the players who overestimated their skills to the largest extent (compared with players who underestimated their skills), were less likely to produce a high performance level in the future (OR = .71, 95% CI = .54–.94). It seems that unrealistically positive self-evaluations can have negative effects in terms of performance development, but not through the mechanism of the self-serving bias, as measured in the current study. Nevertheless, it may be important for players to have a realistic view on their skill-level to progress and reach their potential.

• Hofseth, Erik; Pedersen, Julie Voktor; Jordet, Geir & Toering, Tryntsje Tsjitske (2017). Shame-coping in professional soccer players : an exploratory interview analysis. International Journal of Sport Psychology. ISSN 0047-0767. 48(2), p. 111–132. doi: 10.7352/ijsp2016.48.211.
• Jordet, Geir (2016). Psychology and elite soccer performance. In Strudwick, Tony (Eds.), Soccer science. Human Kinetics. ISSN 9781450496797. p. 367–388.
• Hofseth, Erik; Toering, Tryntsje Tsjitske & Jordet, Geir (2015). Shame Proneness, Guilt Proneness, Behavioral Self-Handicapping, and Skill Level: A Mediational Analysis. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology. ISSN 1041-3200. 27(3), p. 359–370. doi: 10.1080/10413200.2015.1014974. Show summary

  In this study, the relationship between shame proneness, guilt proneness, behavioral self-handicapping, and skill level was examined in elite youth soccer players (N = 589, Mage = 16.8, SD = 1.8). Mediation analyses showed that shame proneness had a positive direct relationship with self-handicapping and a weak negative indirect relationship with skill level. Guilt proneness was shown to have a negative direct relationship to self-handicapping and a positive weak indirect relationship to skill level. Shame proneness may, thus, stimulate behavioral self-handicapping, whereas guilt proneness may discourage behavioral self-handicapping in soccer players.

• Toering, Tryntsje Tsjitske & Jordet, Geir (2015). Self-Control in Professional Soccer Players. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology. ISSN 1041-3200. 27(3), p. 335–350. doi: 10.1080/10413200.2015.1010047. Show summary

  This study aimed to investigate the concept of self-control in association with engagement in daily activities of professional soccer players and its relationship with soccer performance. Findings indicated that self-control scores of male professional soccer players (N = 639), representing the first squad of every club playing in the (Norwegian) Premier and Second League, were associated with their lifestyle and practice time. A small, positive relationship between self-control and soccer performance was found. In terms of expert performance, a possible explanation of our findings is that self-control helps individuals stay on track on their pathways to excellence.

• Jordet, Geir (2015). Psychological characteristics of expert performers. In Baker, Joseph & Farrow, Damian (Ed.), Routledge handbook of sport expertise. Routledge. ISSN 978-0-415-83980-8. p. 106–120. doi: 10.4324/9781315776675-10.
• Wood, Greg; Jordet, Geir & Wilson, Mark Robert (2015). On winning the “lottery”: psychological preparation for football penalty shoot-outs. Journal of Sports Sciences. ISSN 0264-0414. 33(17), p. 1758–1765. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2015.1012103. Show summary

  The outcome of penalty shoot-outs is often referred to as a “lottery”, suggesting that luck, rather than the skill level of the player, predetermines outcome success. Throughout this article, we hope to show why such attitudes towards physical and psychological preparation can increase anxiety, diminish perceptions of control and negatively affect the behaviour and subsequent performance of penalty takers. From the synthesis of this evidence, we provide task-specific recommendations that are structured around the dynamic nature of emotions that players are likely to experience during each phase of the shoot-out and which can be implemented or adapted to suit the individual needs of the player. These recommendations are designed to provide a framework to help applied professionals to optimise the psychological preparation for this scenario with the overall aim of helping players to (re)gain control of this situation.

• Haugaasen, Mathias; Toering, Tryntsje Tsjitske & Jordet, Geir (2014). From childhood to senior professional football: Elite youth players' engagement in non-football activities. Journal of Sports Sciences. ISSN 0264-0414. 32(20), p. 1940–1949. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2014.970218.
• Brink, Michel S.; Frencken, WGP; Jordet, Geir & Lemmink, KAPM (2014). Coaches' and players' perceptions of training dose: Not a perfect match. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance (IJSPP). ISSN 1555-0265. 9(3), p. 497–502. doi: 10.1123/IJSPP.2013-0009. Show summary

  Purpose: The aim of the current study was to investigate and compare coaches’ and players’ perceptions of training dose for a full competitive season. Methods: Session rating of perceived exertion (RPE), duration, and training load (session RPE × duration) of 33 professional soccer players (height 178.2 ± 6.6 cm, weight 70.5 ± 6.4 kg, percentage body fat 12.2 ± 1.6) from an under-19 and under-17 (U17) squad were compared with the planned periodization of their professional coaches. Before training, coaches filled in the session rating of intended exertion (RIE) and duration (min) for each player. Players rated session RPE and training duration after each training session. Results: Players perceived their intensity and training load (2446 sessions in total) as significantly harder than what was intended by their coaches (P < .0001). The correlations between coaches’ and players’ intensity (r = .24), duration (r = .49), and load (r = .41) were weak (P < .0001). Furthermore, for coach-intended easy and intermediate training days, players reported higher intensity and training load (P < .0001). For hard days as intended by the coach, players reported lower intensity, duration, and training load (P < .0001). Finally, first-year players from the U17 squad perceived training sessions as harder than second-year players (P < .0001). Conclusion: The results indicate that young elite soccer players perceive training as harder than what was intended by the coach. These differences could lead to maladaptation to training. Monitoring of the planned and perceived training load of coaches and players may optimize performance and prevent players from overtraining.

• Haugaasen, Mathias; Toering, Tryntsje Tsjitske & Jordet, Geir (2014). From childhood to senior professional football: A multi-level approach to elite youth football players' engagement in football-specific activities. Psychology of Sport And Exercise. ISSN 1469-0292. 15(4), p. 336–344. doi: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2014.02.007. Show summary

  Objectives: The main aim of this study was to identify the development of engagement in football-specific activities of elite youth association football (soccer) players who have made the transition to senior professional status or not. Design: Comparative research design. Method: Data were collected from all elite youth players (N = 745) within the age-range of 14–21 years from all Norwegian Premier League clubs, using a retrospective questionnaire. A within elite-group comparison of players who had obtained a senior professional contract or not was conducted by using multi-level modeling (n = 491). Results: The results showed that although the professional players reported to have accumulated more overall practice hours than non-professionals from ages 6 to 19 years, none of these differences were significant. The professional players reported to have accumulated significantly more hours in play and coach-led practice at the youngest age categories. No significant differences were identified at older age categories or for other types of football-specific practice at any age. Conclusions: Differences in performance attainment may be due to variation in the amount and types of football practice at the earliest years of participation, but may also be related to other factors than the number of hours spent in certain football-specific activities. We argue that implementation of multi-level modeling represents an important progression within practice history research, and is necessary to account for the actual individual’s development over time in addition to identify how different variables may affect the developmental process.

• Toering, Tryntsje Tsjitske; Jordet, Geir & Ripegutu, Anders (2013). Effective learning among elite football players: The development of a football-specific self-regulated learning questionnaire. Journal of Sports Sciences. ISSN 0264-0414. 31(13), p. 1412–1420. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2013.792949. Show summary

  The present study aimed to develop a football-specific self-report instrument measuring self-regulated learning in the context of daily practice, which can be used to monitor the extent to which players take responsibility for their own learning. Development of the instrument involved six steps: 1. Literature review based on Zimmerman's (2006) theory of self-regulated learning, 2. Item generation, 3. Item validation, 4. Pilot studies, 5. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and 6. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The instrument was tested for reliability and validity among 204 elite youth football players aged 13–16 years (Mage = 14.6; s = 0.60; 123 boys, 81 girls). The EFA indicated that a five-factor model fitted the observed data best (reflection, evaluation, planning, speaking up, and coaching). However, the CFA showed that a three-factor structure including 22 items produced a satisfactory model fit (reflection, evaluation, and planning; non-normed fit index [NNFI] = 0.96, comparative fit index [CFI] = 0.95, root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = 0.067). While the self-regulation processes of reflection, evaluation, and planning are strongly related and fit well into one model, other self-regulated learning processes seem to be more individually determined. In conclusion, the questionnaire developed in this study is considered a reliable and valid instrument to measure self-regulated learning among elite football players.

• Toering, Tryntsje Tsjitske; Elferink-Gemser, Marije; Jordet, Geir; Pepping, Gert-Jan & Visscher, Chris (2012). Self-regulation of learning and performance level of elite youth soccer players. International Journal of Sport Psychology. ISSN 0047-0767. 43(4), p. 312–325.
• Jordet, Geir & Elferink-Gemser, Marije (2012). Stress, Coping, and Emotions on the World Stage: The Experience of Participating in a Major Soccer Tournament Penalty Shootout. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology. ISSN 1041-3200. 24(1), p. 73–91. doi: 10.1080/10413200.2011.619000. Show summary

  This study was designed to capture the first-hand experiences of stressors, coping, and emotions that elite professional soccer players have during a major soccer penalty shootout. Eight players who each took part in an important European Championships penalty shootout were interviewed. The results showed that the experience of stressors, coping, and emotions changed extensively throughout the event. Moreover, the participants experienced a series of different stressors, some of which were specific to the penalty shootout, and they employed a variety of coping strategies. Anxiety was the most common emotion. Practitioners can use these results to help design valid simulation protocols.

• Jordet, Geir; Hartman, Esther & Vuijk, Pieter Jelle (2012). Team history and choking under pressure in major soccer penalty shootouts. British Journal of Psychology. ISSN 0007-1269. 103(2), p. 268–283. doi: 10.1111/j.2044-8295.2011.02071.x. Show summary

  This study examined the links between historical team results and individual players’ subsequent performances in a high-pressure real-world sport situation. Videos were obtained from all soccer penalty shootouts held in two major international tournaments (World Cup and European Championships) between 1976 and 2006 (n = 260 players/309 kicks), and we controlled for team ability and country. The results showed that players on teams with preceding losses performed worse and generally took their shots more quickly than players on teams with preceding wins. These differences were also found with players who took no personal part in the preceding games. In conclusion, the results support the existence of historical dependency effects for performance on important and dramatic high-pressure tasks and they are in part consistent with a view of choking under pressure as a function of threatened egotism and self-regulation failure.

• Haugaasen, Mathias & Jordet, Geir (2012). Developing football expertise: a football-specific research review. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. ISSN 1612-197X. 5(2), p. 177–201. doi: 10.1080/1750984X.2012.677951.
• Jordet, Geir (2011). Performing under pressure: What can we learn from football penalty shoot-outs? Sport & Exercise Psychology Review. ISSN 1745-4980. 7(2), p. 11–13. Show summary

  In this paper, I outline a programme of research that has examined the antecedents of choking in sport through an analysis of successful and unsuccessful kicks in football penalty shoot-outs at the World Cup, the European Championships and in the UEFA Champions League. This body of research attests to the role of ego-threat, emotional distress and self-regulation breakdown for unsuccessful kicks and choking under pressure. The paper also outlines how this knowledge has informed interventions with professional football teams.

• Toering, Tynke; Elferink-Gemser, Marije; Jordet, Geir; Jorna, Casper; Pepping, Gert-Jan & Visscher, Chris (2011). Self-Regulation of Practice Behavior Among Elite Youth Soccer Players: An Exploratory Observation Study. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology. ISSN 1041-3200. 23(1), p. 110–128. doi: 10.1080/10413200.2010.534544. Show summary

  This study aimed to measure behavioral correlates of self-regulation in elite youth soccer players. Behaviors regarded as indicative of self-regulated learning were identified by interviewing six expert youth soccer coaches. These behaviors were observed during practice of eight elite youth soccer players aged 15–17 years, and linked with self-reported self-regulated learning scores to describe behavioral correlates of self-regulation. Results indicated that self-regulated learning is reflected in taking responsibility for learning and that players’ practice environment plays a significant role. This study highlights the importance of measuring overt behavior to gain a complete impression of youth soccer players’ self-regulated learning skills.

• Jordet, Geir (2010). Choking under pressure as self-destructive behavior. In Nicholls, Adam R. (Eds.), Coping in sport : theory, methods and related constructs. Nova Science Publishers. ISSN 978-1-60876-488-4. p. 239–259. Show summary

  This chapter discusses choking under pressure. which is presented as a case of selfdestructive behavior that involves: ego threat, emotional distress. and self-regulation failure. When high levels of egotism are threatened, emotional distress often occurs. Athletes choke when they self-regulute to escape these unpleasant emotions (tradeoffs) or when they engage in mis-guided self-regulation strategies. which are also referred to as counterproductive strategies. The attempts to cope may backfire and cause performance failure (self-destruction). Empirical evidence, primarily from real-world research, is presented for each of these steps. Recommendations to prevent choking (reduce ego threat, normalize emotional distress, and optimize self-regulation) are based on this model and inspired by lessons learned from high-reliability organizations such as airlines and hospitals.

• Moll, Tjerk; Jordet, Geir & Pepping, Gert-Jan (2010). Emotional contagion in soccer penalty shootouts: Celebration of individual success is associated with ultimate team success. Journal of Sports Sciences. ISSN 0264-0414. 28(9), p. 983–992. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2010.484068. Show summary

  We examined the association between celebratory responses after successful soccer penalty kicks and the outcome of a penalty shootout. Individually displayed post-shot behaviours in penalty shootouts held in World Cups and European Championships (N = 151) were rated on the presence of universally distinct and recognizable behaviours associated with positive emotions. Using chi-square analyses we investigated which behaviours were associated with winning the shootout, when the relative standing between the teams was equal. Players who engaged in certain celebratory post-shot behaviours were more likely to be in the team that ultimately won the penalty shootout. In particular, celebrations including both arms were associated with winning the shootout. It was more likely that the next kick taken by an opponent was missed after a player displayed these behaviours after a goal than when he did not. The findings are interpreted in terms of emotional contagion - that is, the transference of emotions from individuals onto teammates and opponents. It is suggested that the individual expression of post-performance emotions serves a direct purpose in enhancing future team performance and that emotional contagion is an important process in the context of elite sport performance.

• Toering, T.T.; Elferink-Gemser, M.T; Jordet, Geir & Visscher, C. (2009). Self-regulation and performance level of elite and non-elite youth soccer players. Journal of Sports Sciences. ISSN 0264-0414. 27(14), p. 1509–1517. doi: 10.1080/02640410903369919. Show summary

  In learning and development, self-regulation can be described as the extent to which individuals are metacognitively, motivationally, and behaviourally proactive participants in their learning process (Zimmerman, 1989, 2006). We examined the relationship between self-regulation and performance level in elite (n = 159) and non-elite (n = 285) youth soccer players aged 11-17 years (mean 14.5 years, s = 1.4). The players completed a questionnaire that assessed planning, self-monitoring, evaluation, reflection, effort, and self-efficacy. A logistic regression analysis was performed (controlling for age) to determine which self-regulatory aspects were associated with players' performance level (elite vs. non-elite). High scores on reflection and effort were associated with a higher level of performance. Findings suggest that elite players may be more aware of their strong and weak points as well as better able to translate this awareness into action. In addition, elite players appear to be more willing to invest effort into practice and competition. It is suggested that these better developed self-regulatory skills may translate into a more effective learning environment and ultimately result in an increased capacity for performance in elite players relative to their non-elite peers.

• Jordet, Geir; Hartman, Esther & Sigmundstad, Einar (2009). Temporal links to performing under pressure in international soccer penalty shootouts. Psychology of Sport And Exercise. ISSN 1469-0292. 10(6), p. 621–627. doi: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2009.03.004. Show summary

  Objectives: This study examined the temporal characteristics of performing under pressure in a high-stakes real-world sport situation. Design:Behavior observation analyses were conducted of televised soccer games. Methods: Videos were obtained from all penalty shootouts ever held in three major international soccer tournaments (World Cup, European Championships, and UEFA Champions League). In these events, 296 players performed 366 penalty kicks. The time periods that were analyzed in relation to shot outcomes were: walking, ball placement, back-up, signal waiting, signal response, and run-up. Results: Several time intervals were linked to performance. For example, longer times to respond to the referee's ready signal were related to more goals and shorter times were related to more misses. A similar weak trend was found for ball placement. Time to wait for the referee signal went in the other direction, with shorter times giving more goals. Conclusions: Shorter self-imposed times were linked to worse performance than longer times. Plausible reasons for this result may be the extreme levels of pressure that are induced by major penalty shootouts, causing performers to attempt escaping the emotional distress by getting the situation ¿over with¿ as soon as possible. These results are consistent with a model of choking as a case of self-regulatory breakdown.

• Jordet, Geir (2009). When Superstars Flop: Public Status and Choking Under Pressure in International Soccer Penalty Shootouts. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology. ISSN 1041-3200. 21(2), p. 125–130. doi: 10.1080/10413200902777263. Show summary

  The purpose of this study was to examine links between public status and performance in a real-world, high-pressure sport task. It was believed that high public status could negatively affect performance through added performance pressure. Video analyses were conducted of all penalty shootouts ever held in three major soccer tournaments (n = 366 kicks) and public status was derived from prestigious international awards (e.g., FIFA World Player of the year). The results showed that players with high current status performed worse and seemed to engage more in certain escapist self-regulatory behaviors than players with future status. Some of these performance drops may be accounted for by misdirected self-regulation (particularly low response time), but only small multivariate effects were found.

• Jordet, Geir (2009). Why do English players fail in soccer penalty shootouts? A study of team status, self-regulation, and choking under pressure. Journal of Sports Sciences. ISSN 0264-0414. 27(2), p. 97–106. doi: 10.1080/02640410802509144. Show summary

  I examine why players from some nations appear always to choke in major international soccer penalty shootouts. Based on a model on choking under pressure as a type of self-defeating behaviour (Baumeister, 1997), I hypothesized that highly favourable public appraisals of a team would be linked to displays of escapist self-regulation strategies and inferior performance. I selected the eight most merited European nations, obtained videos from penalty shootouts in two major international tournaments (World Cup and European Championships), and analysed all 200 shots taken by players representing these teams. The results showed significant relationships between team status, self-regulation strategies, and performance. Players from countries that, at the time of the penalty shootout, either had many international club titles or featured many internationally decorated players, spent less time preparing their shots and were less successful from the penalty spot than players from countries with lower public status. England and Spain are used to illustrate these effects, as the data suggest that players from these two countries may have underperformed in previous international soccer tournaments because of high public status and misguided self-regulation strategies.

• Jordet, Geir & Hartman, Esther (2008). Avoidance motivation and choking under pressure in soccer penalty shootouts. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology (JSEP). ISSN 0895-2779. 30(4), p. 450–457. Show summary

  The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between shot valence, avoidance behavior, and performance in soccer penalty shootouts. Video analyses were conducted with all penalty shootouts ever held ill the World Cup, the European Championships. and the UEFA Champions League (n = 36 shootouts, 359 kicks). Shot valence was assessed from the potential consequences of a shot outcome as follows: Shots where a goal instantly leads to victory were classified as positive valence shots and shots where a miss instantly leads to loss as negative valence shots. Avoidance behavior was defined as looking away from the goalkeeper or preparing the shot quickly (thus speeding up the wait). The results showed that avoidance behavior occurred more with negative valence shots than with positive shots and that players with negative valence shots performed worse than those with positive shots. Thus. avoidance motivation may help explain why professional athletes occasionally choke under pressure.

• Jordet, Geir (2005). Perceptual training in soccer: An imagery intervention study with elite players. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology. ISSN 1041-3200. 17(2), p. 140–156.
• Jordet, Geir (2003). Læring av perseptuell ekspertise i fotball : en økologisk tilnærming. ?. 1(2), p. 133–147.
• Jordet, Geir & Moe, Vegard Fusche (2002). Philosophical consultancy with professional athletes. In Herrestad, Henning; Holt, Anders & Helge, Svare (Ed.), Philosophy in society. Unipub forlag. p. 25–34.
• Jordet, Geir (2002). It's what up here that counts : winning the mental game of soccer [Book review]. The Sport Psychologist. ISSN 0888-4781. 16(4), p. 337–339.

View all works in Cristin

• Collins, Dave; Cruickshank, Andrew & Jordet, Geir (2019). Routledge handbook of elite sport performance. Routledge. ISBN 9781138290303. 402 p.

View all works in Cristin

• Williams, A. Mark; Thomas, Joseph T.; Jordet, Geir & Ford, Paul R. (2023). Anticipation and decision-making. In Williams, A. Mark; Ford, Paul R. & Drust, Barry (Ed.), Science and soccer : developing elite performers. Routledge. ISSN 9780367708955. p. 124–140. doi: 10.4324/9781003148418-10.
• Jordet, Geir & Toering, Tryntsje Tsjitske (2023). Psychological characteristics of players. In Williams, A. Mark; Ford, Paul R. & Drust, Barry (Ed.), Science and soccer : developing elite performers. Routledge. ISSN 9780367708955. p. 111–123. doi: 10.4324/9781003148418-9.
• Tenga, Albin & Jordet, Geir (2014). Forskningsnytt: Smålagsspill for trening taktik. Fotballtreneren. ISSN 0802-0906.
• Jordet, Geir (2013). MilanLab. Fotballtreneren. ISSN 0802-0906. 27(3), p. 16–17.
• Jordet, Geir (2013). Forskningsnytt: hvis du står stille rykker du tilbake : et studiebesøk hos McLaren Formel-1. Fotballtreneren. ISSN 0802-0906. 27(2), p. 12–13.
• Wilsgård, Kenneth & Jordet, Geir (2013). Nerdenes hevn 2 : er de smarteste folka også de mest effektive? Fotballtreneren. ISSN 0802-0906. 27(2), p. 8–10.
• Jordet, Geir (2013). Hva skal vi gjøre med desember-barna? Fotballtreneren. ISSN 0802-0906. 27(1), p. 8–9.
• Jordet, Geir & Wisløff, Ulrik (2013). Forskningsnytt, februar 2013. Fotballtreneren. ISSN 0802-0906. 27(1), p. 10–10.
• Jordet, Geir; Olafsen, Espen & Opjordsmoen, Dag (2012). Hva kan norsk fotball lære av generaler, rakettforskere og rugbytrenere? seminarrapport fra Leaders in performance. Fotballtreneren. ISSN 0802-0906. 26(5), p. 7–9.
• Jordet, Geir; Wisløff, Ulrik & Bergo, Aksel (2012). Forskningsnytt 4/2012. Fotballtreneren. ISSN 0802-0906. 26(4), p. 17–17.
• Jordet, Geir & Opjordsmoen, Dag (2012). Kvalitet. Fotballtreneren. ISSN 0802-0906. 26(4), p. 12–14.
• Jordet, Geir & Wisløff, Ulrik (2012). Forskningsnytt 1/2012. Fotballtreneren. ISSN 0802-0906. 26(2), p. 42–42.
• Jordet, Geir (2012). Forskningsnytt 2/2012. Fotballtreneren. ISSN 0802-0906. 26(2), p. 8–8.
• Jordet, Geir (2012). Nerdenes hevn? : rapport fra verdens største seminar på spiller- og kampanalyse i idrett. Fotballtreneren. ISSN 0802-0906. 26(2), p. 6–7.
• Jordet, Geir (2011). Veien mot toppen. In Larsen, Øyvind (Eds.), Flest mulig - lengst mulig - best mulig. Akilles forlag. ISSN 978-82-7286-230-4. p. 279–304.
• Elferink-Gemser, Marije; Jordet, Geir; Coelho-E-Silva, Manuel J. & Visscher, Chris (2011). The marvels of elite sports: how to get there? British Journal of Sports Medicine. ISSN 0306-3674. 45(9), p. 683–684. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2011-090254.
• Jordet, Geir (2011). Prestasjonsmentalitet : persepsjon. Fotballtreneren. ISSN 0802-0906. 25(2), p. 9–10.
• Jordet, Geir (2011). Prestasjonsmentalitet : hva er drivkraften hos de beste? Fotballtreneren. ISSN 0802-0906. 25(1), p. 8–10.
• Jordet, Geir (2010). Prestasjonsmentalitet : hva kan vi lære av verdens beste spillere? Fotballtreneren. ISSN 0802-0906. 24(2), p. 11–13.
• Jordet, Geir & Wisløff, Ulrik (2010). Forskningsnytt 4/2010. Fotballtreneren. ISSN 0802-0906. 24(4), p. 11–11.
• Jordet, Geir & Wisløff, Ulrik (2010). Forskningsnytt 1/2010. Fotballtreneren. ISSN 0802-0906. 24(1), p. 11–11.
• Jordet, Geir (2010). Forskningsnytt 3/2010. Fotballtreneren. ISSN 0802-0906. 24(3), p. 29–29.
• Jordet, Geir (2010). Forskningsnytt 2/2010. Fotballtreneren. ISSN 0802-0906. 24(2), p. 14–14.
• Jordet, Geir; Wisløff, Ulrik & Haugaasen, Mathias (2010). Forskningsnytt 5/2010. Fotballtreneren. ISSN 0802-0906. 24(5).
• Olafsen, Espen & Jordet, Geir (2010). Kan forskning gjøre norsk fotball bedre? Fotballtreneren. ISSN 0802-0906. 24(1), p. 7–9.
• Jordet, Geir (2008). Psykodoping. ?. 4(1), p. 69–94.
• Jordet, Geir (2003). Idrettspsykologi for innebandydommere.
• Jordet, Geir (2003). Perceptual expertise in dynamical team contexts: An investigation of elite football midfield players.
• Jordet, Geir; Müller, Erich; Schwameder, Hermann; Zallinger, Gerhard & Fastenbauer, Verena (2003). Perceptual training in football : a longitudinal intervention case study.
• Jordet, Geir & Stelter, Reinhard (2003). Psychology of football : merging practical experience with ecologically valid research.
• Jordet, Geir (2003). Perceptual training in soccer : a single case imagery intervention study with elite level players.
• Jordet, Geir (2003). The sun made it impossible to see : contextual constraints on visual perception in soccer.
• Miller, Blake W. & Jordet, Geir (2003). Competition.
• Jordet, Geir & Grønli, Kristin (2002). Å sjå på mannen - ikkje ballen [online].
• Jordet, Geir (2002). Råd til fotballspillere fra forsker: Snu på hodet og observer!
• Jordet, Geir (2002). Persepsjon i fotball: En forskningsbasert tilnærming til toppspillerens "overblikk".
• Jordet, Geir (2002). Persepsjon i fotball.
• Jordet, Geir (2002). Persepsjon innenfra og ut.
• Jordet, Geir (2002). Ferdigheter i idrett: Jakten på informasjon, mening og verdi.
• Jordet, Geir (2002). Trenger VM-dommerne briller? Dagbladet. ISSN 0805-3766.
• Jordet, Geir (2002). Visual perception in soccer passing experts.
• Jordet, Geir (2002). Visual perception in soccer: Case study of an expert goal scorer.
• Jordet, Geir (2002). Play.
• Jordet, Geir (2002). Perceptual Exploration: Case study of expert soccer passers.
• Jordet, Geir (2001). Psychodoping.
• Jordet, Geir (2001). Developing perceptual expertise in soccer.
• Jordet, Geir & Moe, Vegard Fusche (2001). Philosophical consulting with top sport athletes [online].
• Jordet, Geir; Papaioannou, Athanasios; Goudas, Marios & Theodorakis, Yannis (2001). Perceptual training in professional football : a young Norwegian player breaking through internationally.
• Jordet, Geir; Papaioannou, Athanasios; Goudas, Marios & Theodorakis, Yannis (2001). An ecological approach to skill in team ball sport.
• Jordet, Geir (2000). Mental trening.
• Jordet, Geir (2000). Idrettspsykologi i Norge: Utdanning, karrieremuligheter og profesjoner.
• Jordet, Geir (2004). Perceptual expertise in dynamic and complex competitive team contexts : an investigation of elite football midfield players. Norges idrettshøgskole. ISSN 8250203755.

View all works in Cristin