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General Ability and Specialization: Evidence From Penalty Kicks in Soccer

Author

Listed:
  • Florian Baumann

    (University of Tübingen)

  • Tim Friehe

    (University of Konstanz, tim.friehe@uni-konstanz.de)

  • Michael Wedow

    (Bundesbank)

Abstract

This article revisits the 2 × 2 penalty kick game and seeks to explain differences in mixed strategies associated with different player types and the relative performance of these player types. The authors show that (a) a kicker’s general ability is a reliable indicator of his success rate, (bi) a kicker’s specialization rate increases with his general ability, and (c) left-footed kickers who present a minority within the total population are characterized by a higher success rate. Consequently, the authors establish that more able kickers show a higher degree of specialization. Their greater specialization, however, has neither an adverse nor a beneficial impact on their success rate. All the theoretical predictions are in line with empirical evidence from the German national soccer league.

Suggested Citation

  • Florian Baumann & Tim Friehe & Michael Wedow, 2011. "General Ability and Specialization: Evidence From Penalty Kicks in Soccer," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 12(1), pages 81-105, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:jospec:v:12:y:2011:i:1:p:81-105
    DOI: 10.1177/1527002510371194
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Dohmen, Thomas J., 2008. "Do professionals choke under pressure?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 65(3-4), pages 636-653, March.
    2. P.-A. Chiappori, 2002. "Testing Mixed-Strategy Equilibria When Players Are Heterogeneous: The Case of Penalty Kicks in Soccer," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 92(4), pages 1138-1151, September.
    3. Ignacio Palacios-Huerta, 2003. "Professionals Play Minimax," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 70(2), pages 395-415.
    4. Moschini, GianCarlo, 2004. "Nash equilibrium in strictly competitive games: live play in soccer," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 85(3), pages 365-371, December.
    5. Fiona Carmichael & Dennis Thomas, 2005. "Home-Field Effect and Team Performance," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 6(3), pages 264-281, August.
    6. Germán Coloma, 2007. "Penalty Kicks in Soccer," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 8(5), pages 530-545, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Thomas Dohmen & Hendrik Sonnabend, 2018. "Further Field Evidence for Minimax Play," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 19(3), pages 371-388, April.
    2. Germán Coloma, 2012. "The penalty-kick game under incomplete information," CEMA Working Papers: Serie Documentos de Trabajo. 487, Universidad del CEMA.
    3. Caspi, Itamar & Mazar, Yuval & Michelson, Noam & Tsur, Shay, 2018. "Does Guilt Affect Performance? Evidence from Penalty Kicks in Soccer," MPRA Paper 90113, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Lackner, Mario & Sonnabend, Hendrik, 2021. "Coping with advantageous inequity—Field evidence from professional penalty kicking," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    5. Candon Johnson & Robert Schultz & Joshua C. Hall, 2020. "Specialization and Performance: Evidence from NCAA 4 × 400 m Relay Times," Economies, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-7, November.
    6. Luigi Buzzacchi & Stefano Pedrini, 2014. "Does player specialization predict player actions? Evidence from penalty kicks at FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro Cup," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(10), pages 1067-1080, April.

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