DECREASE IN COMPETITION EFFICIENCY IN 13–14-YEAR-OLD FOOTBALL PLAYERS: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL FATIGUE AND THE QUALITY OF DECISION-MAKING
Abstract
The paper presents a secondary, sport-psychological analysis of pedagogical observation data on the competitive activity of 13–14-year-old football players (310 passes, 89 ball losses, 440–480 technical-tactical actions per match). Four derived indices were computed: error index, progressive-play share, “safe play” coefficient and zonal cognitive-load gradient. In the second half the volume of actions decreased by 22.9%, whereas the error index rose from 22.3% to 37.0% (a relative increase of 66.2%). This dissociation between quantity and quality indicates that the decline cannot be attributed to peripheral muscular fatigue alone: central (mental) fatigue and depletion of attentional resources play a substantial role. The zonal distribution of losses (16.8% / 36.0% / 42.4%) supports the time-pressure account of decision errors. The predominance of backward and lateral passes (67.7%) is interpreted through fear of failure and an ego-involving motivational climate. A practical model for integrating a psychological component into youth football preparation is proposed.
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