How do boxing coaches communicate under pressure? A study led by Dr Kieran File (supported by an Economic and Social Research Council IAA funding grant) in association with England Boxing and UK Coaching, entitled Focus on Coach Talk: How Do Boxing Coaches Communicate In Breaks Between Rounds? explores the way boxing coaches use language in the time-constrained one-minute breaks between boxing rounds.  

Dr File outlined: “The goal was to look at what communicative functions boxing coaches were performing in these one-minute breaks with their language – what coaching tasks they were performing and how they were performing them through language. 

“By doing this we wanted to create a framework to facilitate critical discussions about coaching language in boxing and other combat sports and help locate aspects of coaching communication in these sports that coaches feel needs more research.”

The findings of this study are available in a downloadable research booklet available from the UK Coaching website or from England Boxing's website.