Introduction: The role of a goalkeeper, no matter the sport, is crucial. Goalkeeping requires a unique set of skills and attributes. In addition to physical prowess, goalkeepers must possess exceptional visual and cognitive abilities to anticipate, react, and make split-second decisions. Let's analyze some of the visual requirements and cognitive demands for the position of goalkeeper.
Visual Requirements: Goalkeepers, and humans in general, rely heavily on their visual abilities to perceive and interpret important cues from their environment. We know from neurology that the brain loves visual input more than most other sensory systems due to the amount of data we take in (~60% of the brain's processing power is dedicated to decoding this visual information). Scientific studies have identified several key visual demands for goalkeeping, we're just going to look at two to begin with:
Peripheral Vision & Processing - a study by Mann et al. (2013) highlighted the importance of visual perception in goalkeeping. The found that goalkeepers who exhibited superior peripheral vision were far more successful. You hear it all the time from coaches, "use your peripherals!" But, we can't forget that picking up movement in the peripherals is one thing, processing that information is another ball game. Visual perception allows goalkeepers to anticipate the trajectory of the ball and make quick decisions regarding positioning and diving.
Tracking - a study by Carvalho, J. et al. (2018) in the Journal of Sports Sciences found that elite soccer goalkeepers demonstrated superior visual tracking skills compared to non-elite goalkeepers. They exhibited shorter fixation durations, less saccadic eye movement (suggesting more efficient and direct tracking), and a higher percentage time fixated on the ball (eluding to better eye discipline). This study highlights the importance of visual tracking skills in the performance of elite goalkeepers. The ability to track the ball and all relevant visual cues is associated with improved decision making.
Cognitive Demands: the brain of a goalkeeper must work well with their eyes. The visual inputs force the brain to make decisions and fire various operations to execute motor tasks that end up in saves. Several cognitive skills are crucial for goalkeepers:
Decision-Making: Goalkeepers face rapid decision-making scenarios. Judging the speed and trajectory of the ball, understanding the location and positioning of opponents/teammates, and understanding the capabilities and limitations of one's physical abilities are all real-time decisions goalkeepers must work through. A study by Murr et al. (2020) emphasized that top-level goalkeepers demonstrate superior decision-making skills, enabling them to effectively respond within a fraction of a second.
Impulse Control: A paper in the Frontiers in Psychology by Diamond et al. (2016) found that impulse control plays a vital role in the success of athletes. The review found that high-performing athletes exhibit superior impulse control and this is due to several neurocognitive factors:
Prefrontal Cortex - this brain region is crucial for executive function.
Inhibitory Control - where athletes suppress impulsive responses and make deliberate decisions. This ability is associated with a fine working prefrontal cortex and its connections to the regions involved in reward processing and motivation.
Cognitive Flexibility (neuroplasticity) - athletes with higher levels of impulse control exhibit greater "cognitive flexibility," which enables them to adapt their actions and strategies in response to changing situations.
Conclusion: Goalkeeping demands a combination of exceptional visual and cognitive abilities. While we only touched on a couple in each category, we can get way more granular with what's happening from a NeuroVisual perspective, but this is a great starting point. Scientific research supports the importance of peripheral vision and processing, visual tracking, decision-making, and impulse control in the success of goalkeeping. There is amounting evidence that training the ocular motors, eye discipline, and brain processing can enhance overall athletic performance regardless of craft.
In a future article, we'll look at how NueroVisual processes such as reactions, hand-eye coordination, and accommodation can be used to stimulate the sympathetic nervous system (fight, flight, or freeze) and how using short burst style drills prior to training/games can enhance performance.
Armed with this knowledge, players and coaches should be training these skills regularly in addition to standard goalkeeper programing. At Inneuractive, one of our collaborators at Precision Elite, this is part of a large bucket called NeuroVisual Training and there are a plethora of drills and products that one can use for training the NeuroVisual system.
Moreover, promoting and environment that fosters creativity, adaptability, and resilience will enhance players' abilities to handle the dynamic and unpredictable nature of our position. We're the last line of defense and a lot of that starts between the ears.
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