The Times calls Geir Jordet the “world’s leading expert on the psychology of penalties”. And with good reason. Dr Jordet has studied every penalty shoot-out of every major men’s international football tournament from the past 50 years. He has interviewed 25 of the players and managers involved, including Arsene Wenger, Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski.
His 2024 book on the subject, Pressure, was released just a month before the 2024 European Championships. An important resource for Europe’s leading sides as the competition enters the knockout rounds, its lessons also transcend sport. Even rare or apathetic observers are familiar with the intense pressure of a penalty shoot-out. Jordet isolates the traits of successful practitioners: ritual, agency and resolution. He advises professionals from all walks of life on how they can apply these same characteristics in high-pressure situations.
Stress is an unavoidable aspect of high performance. It cannot be removed but we can handle it better. Geir Jordet presents empirical analyses, case studies and stories about effective coping techniques and successful leadership practices that can be applied in a series of non-sport pressure situations.
This wider application has sparked major interest in Dr Jordet’s work from various instiutions and fields. He works with several Premier League football, NBA basketball and NHL ice hockey teams. He has also acted as a personal consultant to over 130 professional players.
Dr Jordet’s advice is also sought by major business organisations. He has given hundreds of presentations for groups ranging from technology to natural resources to financial services. There, he translates his research findings from extreme elite sport environments into a business context. Dr Jordet’s work is particularly popular with fund managers who value his insights on maintaining clarity of thought in the midst of information overload.
Geir Jordet holds a PhD. in soccer and psychology. He is based in Oslo where he teaches at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences. The institution is currently ranked #3 in the world on sport science research.
