UNDERSTAND THE MIND - REFINE THE GAME.

One decision, one moment – and everything changes. Referees invest a lot of time in scene analysis and athletics – and yet mistakes still happen. They are often explained by positioning or anticipation. But the crucial questions remain: How do decision-making processes work in the brain? How can focus be activated at key moments? How can mistakes be dealt with professionally – during and after the game? And:

What changes in the 90 minutes when we understand psychology and apply it to the game?

My approach: making the invisible visible. Every decision is the result of an interplay of perception, attention, emotions and evaluation. If you understand these processes, you can make targeted use of them – and refine your game. I have developed the Mind Playbook for this purpose: a model that makes the psychological architecture visible and translates it directly into the reality of the 90 minutes.

Tobias Stieler | Sports psychologist & FIFA referee

Psychology made visible - for referees & associations.

01 For referees

Every decision on the pitch is the result of a complex interplay of perception, attention, emotions and cognitive evaluations. These mechanisms often remain unreflected. My approach: to make the psychology of the 90 minutes understandable and to integrate it into match management, which results in better decisions.

02 For associations

Associations invest a lot in the development of their referees – but key questions remain unanswered: How does the brain process match situations? How is focus activated at key moments? My approach: systematically integrating psychology into training and match management – so that talented and top referees make consistent and more precise decisions.

03 About me

As a sports psychologist (M.Sc.) and FIFA referee, I combine scientific precision with more than 15 years of experience in professional football, resulting in the development of the Mind Playbook – a model that explains psychological mechanisms in an understandable way and translates them into performance on the pitch.

Frequently asked questions.

Who is my offer aimed at?

My offer is aimed at referees in the performance area - from ambitious talents on their way to professional soccer to established top referees. The aim is to make psychological factors such as perception, decision quality, communication and mental flexibility understandable and to transfer them to match management.

I support associations in systematically and sustainably integrating these dimensions into their development structures - so that talented referees are specifically prepared for the demands of the professional game and top referees can consistently perform at the highest level.

What is the Mind Playbook and what advantages does it bring to game management?

The Mind Playbook is a framework model that structures and explains the psychological mechanisms of game management. It shows how decision-making processes are shaped by internal dynamics and external influences. This creates a scientifically sound approach to not only understand them, but also to transfer them specifically to game management.

How does the collaboration work?

Step 1: Write a short email. Step 2: We arrange a Zoom call. Step 3: During the conversation, we identify what is needed - and refine it precisely. This forms the basis for the architecture of the collaboration: whether 1:1 coaching for referees or workshops, mentoring and seasonal programs for associations.