The Effect of a Slow Breathing Intervention on Psychological Response and Penalty Kick Performance in Professional Football Players During a High-Pressure Protocol (HHS-2026-23)

About the project

About the Project The ability to regulate emotions and perform optimally under pressure is critical in elite sport. However, athletes frequently experience performance decrements in high-pressure situations, commonly referred to as “choking under pressure.” Research indicates that approximately 77% of elite athletes report experiencing choking episodes during competition. The penalty kick represents one of the most pressurised situations in sport, with almost 1.5 billion people watching the penalty shootout during the last FIFA World Cup final. A recent mixed-methods study demonstrated that a high-pressure penalty kick protocol increases anxiety and predominantly evokes the distraction-based mechanism in professional footballers (Ellis & Ward, 2022). Despite this knowledge, less is known about the effectiveness of evidence-based interventions for mitigating the detrimental effects of these mechanisms under pressure in real-world performance environments. One intervention known to reduce anxiety and stress is slow breathing; however, its effectiveness in high-pressure situations remains underexplored. This PhD project aims to address these gaps by investigating the effect of slow breathing on psychological and psychophysiological response, and penalty kick performance under high-pressure conditions. There is also scope to explore alternative interventions. Phases of the research include implementing an established high-pressure penalty kick protocol to establish baseline responses; conducting interviews or focus groups to inform the intervention design; delivering the intervention to an experimental group alongside a comparator group; examining participants’ experiences of the intervention through psychometric measures and/or qualitative methods; and conducting transfer and retention assessments to evaluate the durability and application of intervention effects. This project is intended to be conducted with professional male/female football players through established or newly developed partnerships, facilitated by both the supervisory team and the successful candidate. Given the challenges of applied high-performance settings, there is flexibility in both design and delivery, allowing the project to be adapted to context and available access. For subject specific enquiries please contact: l.ellis@hud.ac.uk We encourage you to discuss your ideas with potential supervisors in advance of application. Type of Award: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Eligibility: These scholarships are open to UK applicants only ; ideally with an MSc in a relevant subject area, applicants with a First-Class Honours degree may also be considered. Location: Huddersfield/Online Funding: Fee waiver Duration: 3 years full-time / 6 years part-time Application Details To apply please submit the documents listed below to pgrscholarships@hud.ac.uk in full by Friday 30 th October 2026 , including the following documents: A motivational email as to why you wish to apply for the scholarship, stating which project you are applying for. A 2,000-word research proposal outlining how you plan to undertake for the research topic you are applying for. For further guidance on writing a research proposal, please refer to the following webpage: https://www.hud.ac.uk/postgraduate/research/writing-a-research-proposal/ Full CV Provide copies of transcripts and certificates of all relevant academic and/or any professional qualifications. Provide references from two individuals – (at least one to be an academic reference) please contact your referees and ask them to send your references directly to pgrscholarships@hud.ac.uk from their work email address. (references can be submitted late but must be received by Friday 6 th November 2026). Proof of eligibility – e.g. scan of passport photo page Please state the research topic number and title in the subject area of the email Please email pgrscholarships@hud.ac.uk with queries regarding eligibility and submitting documents. Informal enquiries about individual projects should be directed to the lead supervisor listed for each project.

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