This study investigates the effects of different types of self-talk on performance and stress regulation in soccer forwards. Self-talk is a psychological technique in which athletes use specific verbal cues to guide their thoughts and actions during training and competition. Two commonly used forms are motivational self-talk, which focuses on confidence and effort, and instructional self-talk, which focuses on technical and tactical cues.

Thirty-six male soccer forwards of different competitive levels participated in this study. Players were randomly assigned to a motivational self-talk group, an instructional self-talk group, or a control group. The intervention lasted six weeks. Before and after the intervention, participants completed assessments of soccer-specific technical skills, physical performance, and match tactical behavior. Psychological measures of self-efficacy and biological indicators of stress (salivary cortisol) were also collected.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether different self-talk strategies produce different effects depending on players' competitive level and task demands. The findings are expected to provide practical guidance for the use of psychological training strategies in soccer and other team sports.

Inclusion Criteria

• Male university football players aged 18-25 years
• Full-time university students regularly engaged in organized football training and competition
• At least two years of systematic football training experience
• In good general health at the time of enrollment
• No musculoskeletal injuries or medical conditions affecting football performance within the previous 6 months
• Normal or corrected-to-normal vision and hearing
• Able to understand study procedures and complete soccer-specific performance and decision-making tasks
• Provided written informed consent prior to participation

Exclusion Criteria

• History of neurological, psychiatric, or cognitive disorders that could influence decision-making or reaction time
• Current participation in structured psychological skills training programs (e.g., self-talk training, imagery, mindfulness training) outside routine football practice during the study period
• Use of medications or substances known to affect cognitive function
• Presence of any medical condition or injury contraindicating participation in football training or testing
• Failure to comply with the intervention protocol or outcome assessments

Individual participant data will not be shared due to participant confidentiality and institutional data protection policies.

This study employed a triple-blind design. Participants were not informed of the specific self-talk strategy being evaluated and were told only that different psychological preparation approaches were being compared. Investigators responsible for training supervision and data collection were not involved in group allocation and were blinded to intervention assignment. Outcome assessors and data analysts were blinded to group identity throughout testing and analysis. Group allocation was coded using anonymized labels until completion of all statistical analyses.