A seasoned name on the football field, FIFA-licensed female referee Sibel Yamaç Tamkafa successfully graduated last week from Üsküdar University’s Neuroscience PhD program. With her doctoral dissertation, Sibel Yamaç Tamkafa achieved a first in Türkiye and made a significant contribution to the global sports psychology literature.
Sibel Yamaç Tamkafa stated that “This study stands out as the first of its kind in Türkiye and for offering an original approach in the global literature, providing a scientifically based and innovative perspective on referee training.” Successfully blending her refereeing career with neuroscience, Tamkafa based her study on how football referees demonstrate “mental control, stress tolerance, and sound decision-making” skills in critical moments. Her research raised a crucial question: Is it possible to develop refereeing skills that reduce errors through neuroscience?
A First in Türkiye using EEG-based neurofeedback on referees
As part of her PhD work conducted at Üsküdar University, Tamkafa systematically applied EEG-based neurofeedback to football referees, achieving a first in Türkiye and contributing valuable insights to the field of global sports psychology.
A FIFA-licensed female referee analyzes with neuroscientific data
Between 2001 and 2017, Sibel Yamaç Tamkafa officiated under the Turkish Football Federation and held the prestigious role of FIFA Assistant Referee internationally for 10 years. She currently continues to volunteer as a referee in the Netherlands. Regularly contributing to referee education programs, Tamkafa analyzed vital cognitive processes such as attention, cognitive flexibility, stress management, and split-second decision-making under pressure through neuroscientific data in her doctoral dissertation.
Neurofeedback enhances referees’ attention control
The PhD dissertation was conducted under the supervision of Üsküdar University Vice Rector Prof. Türker Tekin Ergüzel and author Prof. Rıdvan Ekmekçi. The study scientifically demonstrated, through EEG data, the tangible effects of a systematic neurofeedback protocol applied to football referees. The research showed that neurofeedback applications helped referees improve their focus, control emotional fluctuations, and make more accurate decisions.
Focus on the brain’s decision-making regions
The study particularly focused on the prefrontal and temporal cortex regions (FP1, FP2, T3, T4), which are responsible for high-level cognitive functions such as decision-making, planning, and emotional regulation. EEG analyses confirmed that, following neurofeedback applications, referees exhibited significant and positive developments in critical cognitive areas such as sustained attention and emotional regulation. These findings highlight that the study contributes not only to sports sciences but also to applied neuroscience and performance enhancement fields.
A first in Türkiye
FIFA-licensed referee Sibel Yamaç Tamkafa also shared the following insights about her work: “This study demonstrates the effectiveness of neurofeedback in high-stress, quick-decision fields like refereeing. As the first of its kind in Türkiye and for offering a unique approach to the global literature, it brings a scientifically grounded and innovative perspective to referee education.”
Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)