Football Anxiety: Common Triggers And How To Manage Them

Ashley Lewis
Jun 21
7 min read

Anxiety in football is far more common than most players let on (and that goes for every level of the game, not just the players you see on TV).

That tight feeling in your stomach before kick-off, the dread of giving the ball away in front of everyone, the voice in your head telling you you're not good enough to be on the pitch... If any of that sounds familiar then you're not alone (and there's nothing wrong with you for feeling it)!

In my experience, the players who manage anxiety well aren't the ones who never feel it - they're the ones who've learned a few simple ways to work with it, rather than fight against it.

Below are some of the most common anxieties that I come across with players - along with some practical ways to help keep them in check...

The Fear Of Making A Mistake

This is probably the most common anxiety in football - at any age and any level!

The fear of misplacing a pass, missing a tackle, or making an error that costs a goal can sit in a player's mind for the entire game - and ironically, it's often that exact fear that causes the mistake in the first place.

"What if I get this wrong?"

It's a natural thought, but it puts the focus entirely on the outcome rather than the action itself.

Even professional players make several mistakes every single game, yet they're rarely thinking about their last touch by the time the next one arrives - their attention has already moved on!

That's really the skill worth building for yourself... treating a mistake as information rather than failure, asking what you'd adjust next time? and then letting your focus shift to your next action rather than dwelling on the last one.

The players who recover from mistakes the quickest aren't the ones who never make them - they're the ones who've trained themselves to let go and move on to the next play.

Football player reflecting on a mistake with his head in his hands

Pre-Match Nerves And The Dread Before Kick-Off

That heavy, anxious feeling in the hours before a match is one of the most common things players describe to me - whether it's a Saturday morning grassroots fixture or a Sunday league game after a long week at work.

It can show up as a quiet stomach, a racing mind, or even a strong urge to avoid the game altogether!

The first thing worth knowing is that this feeling is completely normal, and is often just your body's way of telling you that the game matters to you...

Here's a few ways to settle pre-match nerves:

Build a simple, consistent pre-match routine (the same warm-up, the same music, the same food) so your body and mind recognises it as familiar/routine.
Use slow, controlled breathing in the moment (when you're feeling most anxious) e.g. breathe in through your nose for four seconds, hold it for four seconds - then breathe out via your mouth for six seconds, hold your breath for four seconds (then repeat).
Shift your focus from the result to two or three small, controllable things you want to do well

Nerves rarely disappear completely, and that's okay (it's the same for us coaches too)!

The goal isn't to feel nothing at all - it's to stop the nerves from taking over you completely.

Comparing Yourself To Other Players

Whether it's a more skilful teammate, a faster opponent, or simply a player who "looks" more confident - comparison is one of the quickest ways anxiety creeps into a football player's mindset.

It's easy to start measuring your own performance against someone else's, rather than your own progress (and that's a comparison that you'll rarely win) because you're only ever seeing someone else's highlight, rather than their whole story.

Every player you find yourself comparing your game to has had their own bad games, bad seasons and setbacks too (you simply weren't there to see them).

A more useful question to ask yourself after a game isn't

"Was I better or worse than them?"

but...

"Was I better than I was last week?"

Football has room for lots of different strengths... and the more you focus on developing your own game - the less power comparison has over you.

Final note: It's important to also remember that you can't always tell 'how people are' or 'what they're feeling' just by looking at them... here's a (100% true) example (about me) below.

On multiple occassions when I was coaching a team, I always felt extremely anxious, panicky and lacking in (pretty much any) self-confidence/self-worth... I felt a little out of my depth, out of control and like everyone else was better and knew what they were doing and 'how to coach' properly.

Because of this, I just ended up being in flight or fight mode a lot (this was before I knew I had General Anxiety Disorder - GAD, alongside Social Anxiety) when coaching.

I couldn't afford therapy at the time, and all the books I read felt like they were doing me 'some good' but not enough to truly make a difference to my life.

I asked for feedback from other coaches who observed me and (genuinely) they were shocked and couldn't quite believe it... they had seen me as a coach that players liked, respected, listened to and could have a laugh and a joke with (a real, "people's coach" if you like).

All the while, I was feeling these emotions before, during and after a session (and talking negatively to myself too).

Why am I telling you this? because I want you to know that I too have been through anxieties (different forms, different feelings) and that it's completely normal to feel what you're feeling (you're not odd, strange or the only one - I mean that in a nice way).

Worrying About What Others Think

For a lot of players, a big part of matchday anxiety comes from feeling watched by a coach viewing the match and assessing their performance, parents on the sidelines or other spectators.

That sense of being judged can make players overly cautious, hesitant to try things, or afraid to express themselves on the ball.

A few things that can help:

Have an honest conversation with your coach or parent about how their feedback (even well-intentioned) makes you feel during games.
Agree on a simple matchday approach beforehand - for example, parents cheering rather than coaching from the sideline.
Remind yourself that the people who matter most want to see you enjoy your football.

If you're a parent reading this, one of the most powerful things you can do is keep matchday feedback light and positive - and save any deeper coaching conversation for a calmer moment well after the final whistle.

The Fear Of Being Substituted Or Left Out Of The Squad

For many players, the anxiety doesn't stop once the kick off whistle goes - it sits in the background of their mind throughout the entire match in the form of worrying about being subbed off, left on the bench, or even being dropped from the squad altogether!

This kind of anxiety can be especially distracting because it pulls focus away from the game itself and onto something a player has very little control over in the moment.

Selection is so often tactical rather than personal, yet it rarely feels that way from the pitch, which is why it's worth asking your coach directly how those decisions get made rather than making any assumptions.

The one thing worth noting here is that you can't control who gets picked, but you can always control your effort, attitude and decision-making.

Female football player readying to be substituted with another player

Anxiety About Joining A New Team Or Returning After Time Away

Whether it's joining a new club, stepping into a session full of strangers or returning to football after months (or even years) out of the game - that first session back can bring a very different kind of anxiety - one that's more about fitting in than about football itself.

Not knowing anyone, feeling like the "newbie" or worrying that everyone else already knows what they're doing and you don't can be just as nerve-wracking as any matchday (sometimes even more so).

Two things tend to help more than anything else:

Arriving a little early so you're settled before the session starts rather than walking straight into an unfamiliar group, and
Giving yourself a few sessions before judging how it's going (since first impressions of yourself are almost never accurate).

This kind of anxiety almost always fades with familiarity... the hardest part is nearly always that very first session.

Bouncing Back After A Setback Or Injury

A tough performance, a spell on the bench or returning from injury can all leave a player anxious about repeating that same experience (sometimes even more so than they were the first time around).

This kind of anxiety often shows up as overthinking, holding back, or playing it "safe" to avoid the situation happening again...

The way back tends to follow a similar pattern for most players.

It starts with separating the event from your identity - one bad game or setback doesn't define you as a player!

From there, it helps to go back to basics in training and let confidence rebuild gradually, rather than expecting it to return instantly.

Confidence after a setback is rebuilt through small, consistent steps - and not by trying to force it back all at once.

Anxiety In Football - Conclusion

Anxiety is a completely normal part of football (as well as a normal part of life in general) and it presents itself for players at every level, every age, and every position - and that includes the ones who look the most confident from the outside.

Remember - the aim isn't to remove anxiety altogether, but to understand where it's coming from and have a few simple, practical tools to manage it when it shows up - whether that's a breathing technique before kick-off, a more helpful inner voice after a mistake, or an honest conversation with a coach or parent.

If anxiety around football ever starts to feel bigger than just nerves before a game (i.e. if it's affecting your confidence, enjoyment or wellbeing more broadly) then it's always worth talking to someone you trust - whether that's a parent, coach, or a medical professional who can support you further.

If you'd like more personalised support with the mental side of your game alongside your football development, this is something I work on with players regularly during one-to-one coaching sessions and I'd love to be able to help you too...

For further advice and guidance on this topic (as well as information on nutrition, at-home drills and more)! be sure to also check out my eBook - free to download from the Resources page (or click on the image below)!