Evaluating burnout of soccer players with respect to their positions

Background – Athlete burnout is a common negative psychological state of athletes, which includes physical/emotional exhaustion, diminished personal accomplishment, and negative evaluation of sports. The aim of this study is to examine the burnout dimensions in amateur football players according to playing positions. Methods – A total of 113 amateur soccer players participated in the study (age range: 20–35) and the mean (SD) weight was 74.81 ± 8.41 kg, height was 179 ± 2.56 cm. An Athlete Burnout Questionnaire was used to determine the athlete burnout dimensions of soccer players. Results – The results of study show that the data revealed the defense players had higher values in the two subscales: emotional/physical exhaustion (EPE) and sport devaluation (SDeval). On the other hand, the strikers had higher values in the reduced sense of accomplishment (RSA) subscale. Conclusion – Based on the indicators of burnout dimensions, goalkeepers, midfielders, and forwards appear to make adequate psychophysiological adjustments to the demands of competition regarding physical and emotional exhaustion and sport devaluation. In terms of reduced sense of accomplishment, goalkeepers, defenders, and midfielders demonstrate sufficient psychophysiological adaptation to competitive demands. The impact (preventing goals and scoring goals) represented by defenders and strikers with higher burnout scores should be investigated.