Sorry, Arsenal! Wearing red does NOT give athletes a competitive advantage, scientists say
Some of England’s most successful football teams are known to wear red, from Arsenal to Liverpool and Manchester United.
Traditionally associated with passion, aggression and dominance, this color even gave contenders an edge in contact sports such as boxing, a 2005 study found.
However, twenty years later, the study authors reveal that this color-based advantage no longer exists.
The scientists from the University of Durham looked at the results of men’s boxing, wrestling and taekwondo events between 1996 and 2021.
They report that the ‘red advantage’ in these martial arts has faded since 2005, with no ‘statistically significant’ link between wearing red and winning.
“Research has shown that the color red is associated with dominance, intimidation, anger and aggressiveness, and also influences judges’ scores,” say the experts.
‘Nevertheless, our data show that the above-mentioned psychological associations do not translate well to real-world sports performance.’
This new study only looked at contact sports, including boxing and wrestling, so the effect of red in ball sports such as rugby, tennis and football may need further investigation.
Twenty years ago, experts at the University of Durham said wearing red was consistently associated with a greater chance of winning – but now they say this is no longer the case
Traditionally associated with passion, aggression and dominance, this color gave participants an edge in contact sports, according to the 2005 study. Pictured: Boxing at the 1996 Olympics
England famously wore red when they were awarded ‘the most controversial goal in football history’ – which may have influenced the referees’ decision.
The new research, published in Scientific reportslooked at the results of 1v1 boxing, taekwondo, Greco-Roman wrestling and freestyle wrestling matches between 1996 and 2021.
The results came from seven Summer Olympics (between 1996 and 2020) and nine World Boxing Championships (between 2005 and 2021).
Unlike in football, where clubs wear the same colors almost permanently, participants in these contact events were randomly given red or blue outfits.
Of the 6,589 fights, 3,328 were won by participants wearing red – which equates to 50.51 percent.
However, the researchers say this is not ‘statistically significant’, meaning it is not enough to suggest that wearing red has any meaningful effect.
On the other hand, the team’s 2005 study looked at the same four sports at the 2004 Olympics.
The study found that 56.8 percent of wins between closely matched competitors went to the athlete in red – a statistically significant result.
Traditionally, the color red is associated with dominance, intimidation, anger and aggressiveness, as well as influencing the judges’ score (file photo)
The new study looked at results from 1v1 boxing, taekwondo, Greco-Roman wrestling and freestyle wrestling matches between 1996 and 2021. The results came from seven Summer Olympics (between 1996 and 2020) and nine World Boxing Championships (between 2005 and 2020). 2021)
According to study author Professor Rob Barton, both the 2005 and 2025 studies focused exclusively on men’s events.
‘But we published a follow-up analysis that also included women – and found no significant effect for women,’ he told MailOnline.
The researchers speculate that until 2005, referees who officiated contact sports were inclined to award close calls to the red participant – perhaps because they were unconsciously informed by them.
But after the 2005 study was published, it’s possible that researchers became aware of this bias and have since made a conscious effort to prevent it.
Also, prior to 2005, martial arts referees played a greater role in awarding points, while today scoring is increasingly supported by technology.
Overall, the researchers conclude that the red advantage in martial arts has faded over two decades.
“For athletes looking to secure victory, combat sports offers a more level playing field than ever before,” they say.
Wearing red may no longer provide the sporting advantage it once did, at least in contact sports.
In November 1964, Liverpool FC adopted an all-red home kit under the reign of manager Bill Shankly, having previously worn red shirts and white shorts. In the photo the selection of Liverpool FC for the 1969/70 season
A 2008 study found that the color of the red shirt is linked to long-term team success in English football, but further research will be needed to reveal whether this has changed in the same way since then.
“An experimental study found that goalkeepers were less confident that they would save a penalty taken by a red-wearing striker,” added Professor Barton.
Also in cities with red- and blue-wearing teams (such as Liverpool and Everton), the red-wearing teams have had significantly more long-term success, he said.
In November 1964, Liverpool FC adopted an all-red home kit under the reign of manager Bill Shankly, having previously worn red shirts and white shorts.
Shankly thought an all-red kit would make his team intimidating – and the club would win the FA Cup for the first time that season.
However, from the founding of Liverpool FC in 1892 until 1896, Liverpool’s home kit consisted of a white and blue quartered shirt.
More recently, Cardiff City FC controversially changed its home shirt from blue to red under Malaysian owner Vincent Tan between 2012 and 2015.
WHAT MAKES THE BEST FOOTBALL PLAYER?
Players with great skills, such as Lionel Messi (pictured), are more likely to win matches than players with superior athletic skills
Skilled footballers are more likely to win matches than even the most athletic players, according to research from the University of Queensland.
A study has shown that balance and ball control skills can tilt a game more toward victory than speed, strength or fitness.
The researchers say their research could help football coaching academies focus their training on player traits that are more likely to win matches.
The Queensland team used analytical techniques developed in evolutionary biology to determine the impact of a player’s skill, athleticism and balance on his success during a game.
They found that a player’s skill was the most important factor in his and his team’s performance.
Players with higher skill are likely to be more involved in games and have more successful contributions.
However, players with elite athletic skills such as speed, strength and fitness were not associated with higher success rates in games.
“Higher skills allow players to have a greater impact on the game,” lead researcher Dr Robbie Wilson from the University of Queensland, Australia, told MailOnline.
‘Accurate passing and greater ball control are more important for success than high speed, strength and fitness.
‘It should be clear to fans and coaches that players like Lionel Messi and Neymar are the best because of their skills.
‘However, 90 percent of research on football players is based on how to improve their speed, strength and agility – not on their skills.’