Stereotypes of football players as a function of positions

Sports experts agree that different football positions require different personality characteristics and a varied level of motor skill, e.g., quarterback position presumably demands a calm personality, a cerebral endowment, and great motor finesse. By contrast, some other positions may require sheer physical strength and a combative aggressive personality. This study investigated whether football coaches stereotype players according to their various positions and attempted to determine the profile, magnitude and consistency of such stereotyping on both personality traits and motor skill dimensions. This study also investigated the relationship between such stereotypes and the players' scores on psychological tests. On two separate occasions, each of six coaches rated thirteen football positions as to their players' motor skill and personality characteristics. Coaches were instructed to base their ratings on their actual experiences with the players of each position throughout their coaching careers. MMPI-derived scales and the 16 PF test were administered to 251 players. Test-retest correlation coefficients indicate that the six coaches were reliably stable in their stereotypes of the players. Coefficients of concordance indicate significant agreement among the coaches on the stereotypes. Only the 16 PF scores yielded a personality picture consistent with the coaches' stereotypes. Effect of such stereotyping on interpersonal relationships between coach and player are discussed.