Smog has shown negative effect on human physiological health and reaction ability, thereby leading to the reduction in individual productivity. By using panel data of professional soccer players in Chinese Super League matches from May 17, 2014 to July 9, 2016, this paper obtains air pollution indicators from the nearest air real-time monitoring points, uses the number of passes through the games to describe individual productivity, and investigates the productivity effect of air pollution on individuals' productivity. It arrives at the following conclusions:firstly, air pollution significantly decreases the number of passes; in particular, an increase in air quality index (AQI) by 1% leads to a reduction in the number of passes by 0.021%, and an increase in PM2.5 and PM10 concentration by 1% leads to a decline in the number of passes by 0.016% and 0.013% respectively; secondly, the negative effect of air pollution is stronger when players are playing away, yet not significant in home games; and the negative effects of air pollution can weaken to some extend by high-level soccer skills, that is to say, foreign players with better soccer skills are rarely affected by air pollution, while for domestic players, the negative effects are magnified; air pollution has different effects on positions (defender, midfielder, forward); thirdly, because match schedules are determined ahead and are independent of the teams, there is no player who actively avoids the game due to air conditions, and players who are exposed to air pollution are thus considered as exogenous. Therefore the conclusions above are robust and reliable. This paper not only enriches the domestic literature on the effect of smog on productivity, but also provides a solid empirical basis for calling on the society like governments to increase haze operations.