Effect of competitive anxiety on passing decision-making in under-17 soccer players

Abstract

It is not known if competitive anxiety affects decision-making performance in athletes. This study aimed to analyze the effect of competitive anxiety on passing decision-making in young soccer players. This is a prospective study, whose sample consisted of 40 soccer athletes of the under-17 category. The Portuguese version of the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory (CSAI-2R) was filled out by athletes 45 minutes before the start of a soccer match. Decision-making was evaluated in a real game situation. The analysis and categorization of actions were based on the Game Performance Assessment Instrument. The results showed significant influence of cognitive anxiety (R 2 =.20; p = .001), somatic anxiety (R 2 = .45; p = .001) and self-confidence about the passing decision-making index (R 2 = .31; p = .001). It was concluded that competitive anxiety can be considered an intervening factor in decision-making of the pass of young male soccer players.