Playing With Perceptions: Investigating Bias in Soccer Through Skin Tone Manipulation

Social Science Quarterly. 2025. Vol. 106. No. 2. Article e13492.

Nesseler C., Gasparetto T., Iuliia Naidenova, Parshakov P.

Objective

This study aims to investigate implicit discrimination in soccer by examining whether participants’ evaluations of fouls are influenced by players’ skin color.

Methods

An optimal experimental design was developed where players’ skin color in soccer videos was artificially altered. Participants were asked to choose the most appropriate penalty for a player committing a foul. The data were analyzed using ordered logit regressions to assess whether skin color influenced the penalties assigned.

Results

Contrary to previous research and popular belief, the results show that participants’ penalty decisions were not significantly influenced by the players’ skin color.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that implicit discrimination may not be present in this context, challenging previous studies that found racial biases in sports. The experimental design and results lay the groundwork for further research into implicit bias in sports contexts.

Keywords: дискриминация, восприятие, football, discrimination, perception, футбол, колоризм, skin color

Publication based on the results of: Strategic behavior of companies and individuals under conditions of technological transformation in Russia (2025)