In the high-stakes world of professional football, particularly in the esteemed English Premier League, every minute detail can be crucial to success.
Read more: The Secret Behind Elite Performance in the English Premier LeagueA compelling study, “Scanning, Contextual Factors, and Association With Performance in English Premier League Footballers: An Investigation Across a Season” by Geir Jordet, Karl Marius Aksum, Daniel N. Pedersen, and colleagues, published in Frontiers in Psychology in 2020, unveils a significant yet often overlooked aspect of football expertise: the art of scanning.
Understanding Scanning in Football
Scanning refers to a player’s active head movement, temporarily looking away from the ball to gather information for subsequent actions. This study aimed to explore how elite professional footballers utilize scanning during competitive matches, the conditions influencing this behavior, and its relationship to performance.
Methodological Insights: A Detailed Video Analysis
The research involved filming 27 players from an English Premier League club across 21 matches, resulting in the analysis of 9,574 individual ball possessions. Close-up video analysis provided insights into the frequency and context of scanning behaviors, revealing positional and contextual differences among players.
Key Findings: Positional and Contextual Variations
The study found significant positional differences, with central midfielders and defenders scanning most frequently and forwards the least. Contextual factors also played a role, with scanning frequency lower in situations with tight opponent pressure, positions wide on the field, closer to the opponent’s goal, and under certain game state conditions. Players were more likely to scan before passing than during dribbling, shooting, or receiving the ball, and more so before long or forward passes than short or backward ones.
Scanning’s Impact on Performance
A crucial finding was the positive correlation between scanning frequency and successful pass completion. Using a Bayesian hierarchical model, the study suggested that increased scanning leads to a higher probability of completing a pass, highlighting the small but significant role of scanning in football performance.
Implications for Football Training and Strategy
This study underscores the importance of scanning in football, emphasizing its role in enhancing game performance. Coaches and trainers can use these insights to focus on developing players’ scanning abilities, particularly in positions where it’s most beneficial. It also points to the need for tailored training methods that take into account the positional and contextual nuances of the game.In the competitive landscape of football, understanding and improving every aspect of a player’s performance is crucial. The study brings to light an often-overlooked skill that can give teams an edge, providing a deeper understanding of the cognitive aspects of football expertise.
Conclusion
“Scanning, Contextual Factors, and Association With Performance in English Premier League Footballers” by Jordet and his team offers insights into the cognitive strategies of top-tier football players. It highlights the importance of scanning in match performance and decision-making, providing valuable information for coaches, players, and analysts striving for excellence in the sport. This research not only enriches our understanding of football expertise but also opens new avenues for enhancing player development and team strategies.
Sources
Jordet, G., Aksum, K. M., Pedersen, D. N., Walvekar, A., Trivedi, A., McCall, A., Ivarsson, A., & Priestley, D. (2020). Scanning, Contextual Factors, and Association With Performance in English Premier League Footballers: An Investigation Across a Season. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 553813. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.553813.