The Psychological Impact of Ghost Games in Football during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Social pressure, peer pressure and conformity are central constructs in the field of social psychology and have a profound influence on individual behavior and decision making. These psychological forces are rooted in the fundamental human need to belong and maintain positive social relationships, which can lead individuals to adopt behaviors, attitudes or norms that are displayed and exemplified by their social group, even if they differ from own personal beliefs or preferences. The research project examines the impact of social pressure, peer pressure and conformity on individuals, drawing on seminal and contemporary research in the context of sport psychology and football (also known as ”soccer”) without fans, so-called ”ghost games” during the COVID-19 pandemic.

1.Ghost games resulted in an approximately 20% reduction in emotional situations on the pitch compared to regular games

2.A slight increase in self-adaptation behavior, protests and fair play behavior was ob-served during ghost games, along with a decrease in verbal conflict (”words fight” and ”discussion”)

3.Referees were significantly less involved in emotional situations in ghost games (- 14%), suggesting a shift in the emotional dynamics of the game

4.Home advantage effects, traditionally observed in European football leagues, were significantly reduced during ghost games

5.The absence of spectators led to an increase in more objective refereeing, as evi-denced by significantly more yellow cards for fouls committed by home teams, inde-pendent of the course of the games

6.Our systematic literature review with 26 studies indicates that ghost games signifi-cantly reduced home advantage, primarily due to (1) reduced referee bias and (2) lack of emotional support from the fans

7.Referees were significantly less motivated and had a more negative overall experi-ence during ghost games, although they reported easier officiating conditions and the players behaving more positively

8.Emotional expression and arousal levels of referees and players, analyzed through in-terviews and AI, varied widely, reflecting the nuanced impact of spectator absence on professional football