Does Cognitive Training Work for Footballers? What the Research Says

Why people think it might work

The thinking side of football clearly matters. A well-known 2012 study of Swedish players found that top-division footballers scored far above the general population on tests of skills like response inhibition (stopping an automatic reaction) and cognitive flexibility (switching rules quickly). Their scores were linked to the goals and assists they produced over the following seasons. Elite clubs have invested in tools such as Borussia Dortmund’s Footbonaut, a machine that fires balls at players from different directions.

But showing that good players have sharp minds isn’t the same as showing that training those skills makes players better. That’s the question that matters.

The evidence against generic brain games

A 2018 systematic review looked at commercial cognitive training devices and apps marketed for sport. It found little good evidence that they improved actual sport performance. The common problem is transfer: getting better at a puzzle mostly makes you better at that puzzle. Abstract games, like remembering patterns or tapping dots, rarely carry over to deciding faster in a match.

The evidence for sport-specific training

The picture is more positive when training looks and feels like the sport. A 2024 meta-analysis of 22 studies on perceptual-cognitive training in team sports found that it improved athletes’ anticipation and decision-making, including in real game situations. Two details stood out:

Answer with your body: improvements carried over to real games best when athletes responded with sport-like movements rather than verbally.
Give it time: programmes that lasted more than four weeks showed bigger benefits.

Separately, a meta-analysis of pressure training found that practising under simulated pressure helps people perform better when real pressure arrives.

What to look for in any cognitive training

Is it football-like? Decisions should resemble real ones, such as direction, space and teammates, not abstract puzzles.
Do you answer by moving? Feet and body beat fingers and voice.
Is there time pressure? Real decisions come with a clock.
Is it honest about the evidence? Be wary of big claims like “improves performance by 30%” without a study behind them.
Does it add to real football, not replace it? Nothing beats playing.

How StepOver measures up

We designed StepOver around these findings. The calls are football-flavoured (directions and kit colours on a pitch), you answer with your feet on a dance mat, there’s a countdown that shrinks as you improve, and modes like Sudden Death and 1v1 add pressure. We suggest playing a few times a week for at least a month.

What we won’t claim: StepOver has not yet been tested in its own study, and lab gains are usually bigger than gains on the pitch. We plan to measure it properly with clubs and academies. Until then, treat it as a fun, well-designed supplement to real training.

Does cognitive training work for footballers?