Psychological aspects of soccer and futsal players: A systematic review

Abstract

Introduction: The present systematic review aimed to compile the information available in the literature having to do with sport psychology regarding futsal and soccer players, in order to identify which psychological constructs are being investigated in these athletes and by means of which instruments and analysis techniques. Method: The search was carried out in the APA (PsycINFO), EBSCO (SportDiscus), PubMed, Web of Science, Scielo, Science Direct, Scopus, BVS and EMBASE databases, with the following descriptors: psychological construct; psychological factor; psychological variable; psychological phenomenon; soccer; futsal and athlete, in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Results: Initially, 66 studies met the established eligibility criteria. Of these, 46 studies were conducted with soccer players, 19 with futsal players and one with athletes who participate in both sports. The psychological constructs most studied in the soccer modality were anxiety, stress, motivation, coping, motivational climate, depression, self-efficacy and group cohesion. With regard to the futsal modality, the most studied psychological constructs were group cohesion, perfectionism, motivation, athlete satisfaction, leadership style, perceived parenting styles and burnout. Conclusions: Group cohesion was associated with several other psychological aspects of an individual nature, with cohesion being the construct of both modalities which is of the greatest interest to researchers possibly because it is a collective modality. It can be established that important psychological factors have not been studied in soccer and futsal modalities, especially among female athletes. Therefore, it is recommended that the research carried out with male athletes be extended to include female populations.

Differences in Psychological Variables and the Performance of Female Futsal Players according to Playing Position, Match Result and Menstruation

“…No differences were found in pre-match confidence or attention according to playing position, even when considering the outcome of the match. Previous research that has analyzed the psychological determinants of performance in futsal female players is scarce [ 10 ], but the results previously found are contrary to those of the present research since they showed that the pivots showed lower self-confidence and stress control compared to the rest of the players [ 27 ]. A possible explanation for the results found in terms of confidence is that Alvarez-Kurogi’s [ 27 ] research was carried out with promising young futsal players under 16 and 19 years of age; this is a stage in which sports performance is associated with the achievement of specific results [ 40 ], such as scoring effectiveness in the case of the pivots, and could be a factor to consider since the pivots in the present research were the ones with the most shots on goal compared to the rest of the players.…”

“…However, physical demands are not the only relevant factors in the performance of futsal players since before, during and after the matches there are numerous psychological variables acting as determinants, such as group cohesion, perfectionism, motivation, satisfaction, leadership style or burnout [ 10 ]. These variables are interrelated since group cohesion is fundamental in a sport in which interpersonal relationships are established for the achievement of a common goal.…”

“…Nevertheless, research in the psychological field on futsal is scarce. Therefore, the relationships between these variables cannot be conclusively established [ 10 ].…”

“…Despite the extensive previous scientific literature regarding factors that influence the performance of futsal players, previous research conducted in this area with female futsal players is scarce. It is also scarce in the psychological domain [ 10 ]. Additionally, there is no known previous scientific research that has analyzed the influence of playing position, match result or menstruation on the performance of female futsal players.…”

Beyond physical ability—predicting women’s football performance from psychological factors

“…In terms of match attendance, media attention, salaries, and sponsorship, high-level and elite female football has lagged far behind that of their male counterparts ( FIFPRO, 2020 ). During the past 20 years, however, there have been positive developments in most of these areas, in addition to a growing body of research concerning female players ( Kirkendall, 2020 ), although this is not comparable to the amount of research conducted on male football players ( Kryger et al, 2021 ; Alves et al, 2022 ). The most prevalent research areas in the field of women’s football have been related to sports medicine, followed by physiology and sociology (society, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and culture; Kryger et al, 2021 ).…”