Optic variables used to judge future ball arrival position in expert and novice soccer players

Abstract

International audienceAlthough many studies have looked at the perceptual-cognitive strategies used to make anticipatory judgments in sport, few have examined the informational invariants that our visual system may be attuned to. Using immersive interactive virtual reality to simulate the aerodynamics of the trajectory of a ball with and without sidespin, the present study examined the ability of expert and novice soccer players to make judgments about the ball's future arrival position. An analysis of their judgment responses showed how participants were strongly influenced by the ball's trajectory. The changes in trajectory caused by sidespin led to erroneous predictions about the ball's future arrival position. An analysis of potential informational variables that could explain these results points to the use of a first-order compound variable combining optical expansion and optical displacement

Examination of gaze behaviors under in situ and video simulation task constraints reveals differences in information pickup for perception and action

“…It is likely that video training environments facilitate the acquisition of judgment skills that are predicated on the pickup of information for perception, rather than the complementary pickup of ventral vision-for-perception and dorsal vision-for-action information sources utilized during sports performance. Furthermore, comparable limitations may also undermine the utilization of immersive virtual reality environments that fail to offer participants representative opportunities for action (see Craig et al, 2009).…”

“…This idea has significant implications for the study of human behaviors in everyday work and sports environments. Unfortunately, despite important methodological developments (e.g., Craig et al, 2009;Farrow & Abernethy, 2003;Vickers, 1996), investigation of behaviors expressing perceptual expertise has been undermined by an overreliance on simplified laboratory methodologies (for a recent overview, see van der Kamp, Rivas, van Doorn, & Savelsbergh, 2008). Previous researchers have proposed that expertise in sports is, in part, underpinned by an ability to anticipate the intentions of opponents from their kinematic actions (e.g., Huys, Smeeton, Hodges, Beek, & Williams, 2008;Müller, Abernethy, & Farrow, 2006).…”

Displacements in Virtual Reality for Sports Performance Analysis

“…If numerous studies have explored the goalkeeper's performance during penalties [46,47], very few have analyzed the goalkeeper performance during free kick. Some interesting studies such as those of Craig et al [19,20] were focused on free kick in order to explore the perceptual skills of goalkeeper and to identify the optical variables that underlie judgments. In these studies, the aim was to evaluate the influence of ball's effect on perception.…”

Biomechanics and visual-motor control: how it has, is, and will be used to reveal the secrets of hitting a cricket ball

“…If control were to be predictive in this task, the batter would need to precisely predict the exact time and location that a deviating ball would arrive, yet evidence from other sports (e.g. soccer) suggests that the visual system is limited in its ability to anticipate the future arrival point of, in particular, a swinging ball (see Port et al, 1997;Craig et al, 2006Craig et al, , 2009. Athletes are consistently able to successfully intercept a curving ball though, suggesting that a more prospective type of control is better able to account for these, at times, unpredictable deviations in flight-path, at least up until approximately 200 ms prior to bat-ball contact.…”