Goal-Side Selection of Penalty Shots in Soccer

Sammanfattning: Penalty shootouts have become paradigmatic for research on anticipatory skills and decision making. The present study examines the dynamics of goal side selection when viewing realistic images depicting a penalty kick scenario. A sample of participants (n=40) was drawn from a population of students from Lund University. Participants viewed realistic images of a goalkeeper, soccer goal, and ball placed on penalty spot. In each image the position of goalmouth was systematically displaced as to simulate the kicker’s viewpoint. Similarly, goalkeeper’s position was also systematically manipulated along the goal line. The experimental task consisted of choosing which goal side to kick the ball to best score a goal. General Linear Mixed Effects Modelling (GLMM, with Bimodal distribution and Logistic link) and Linear Mixed Effects Modelling (LMM, with Gaussian distribution), were used to examine whether participants’ goal-side selection was determined more by the position of the Goalkeeper or Kicker. Binary goal side selection is formulated in terms of logit probability (Logit P), and all reaction times are transformed to represent signed response speed (SRS). Logit P and SRS showed close linear correspondence, adjusted R2 = .98, F (1, 14) = 598.10, p< .001. Difference in position of the kicker and goalkeeper had a statistically significant effect on binary goal side selection, χ2(1) = 8.67, p < .001, and SRS, χ2(1) = 6.75, p < .01. Similarly, the joint (average) position of the kicker and goalkeeper had a statistically significant effect on Logit P, χ2(1) = 15.72, p < .001, and SRS, χ2(1) = 17.70, p < .001. In sum, the results indicate that participants’ binary goal side selection and speed of goal side selection depends on the relative positioning of the 2 soccer players, goalkeeper and kicker. Present findings add to existing empirical literature about goal-side selection of penalty shots in soccer, and relate to assessment of visual neglect in neurologically impaired individuals. Current results provide some insights into understanding the circumstances under which neurologically normal individuals err when bisecting a line when viewing realistic images.