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Scanning Frequency Determines Speed of Play

Research shows most untrained coaches, players, referees and spectators:

fixate on (stare at) the ball and player in possession of the ball up to 54 seconds a minute, and
only scan the field 4 times a minute for slightly less than 1.5 seconds per scan for teammates, opponents and open spaces.

See left animation below of individuals who fixate an average of 13.5 seconds for every 1.5 seconds that they scan the field.

The same studies found a very small number of individuals who have learned to:

look at the ball or player in possession of the ball for as little as 34 seconds a minute, and
scan the field up to 26 times a minute for slightly less than 1 second per scan for teammates, opponents and open spaces.

See right animation below of individuals who fixate an average of 1.3 seconds for every 1 second they scan the field.

Individuals who learn to scan up to 600% more often collect more information faster leading to higher quality, more accurate and faster decisions and play. When combined with peripheral vision and visual memory training the best players develop a sense of what is going to happen, often before it happens.

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Scanning Frequency Menu

★ Free Content for All Visitors
★ Recreational Member Content
★ Competitive Member Content
Most activities work on more than one vision skill

Online & at Home Exercises

★ Eye Muscle Training Exercises
★ Eye Rotation Exercises
★ Two Screen Exercise
★ Vision Rod Exercise
★ To and From Exercise
★ Stop & Go SSG Exercises

Practice Exercises

★  Baseline Scan Rate Evaluation
★  Index Finger Exercise
  ★  Crossing at a Jog
  ★  Peripheral Color Exercise
  ★  Crossing at a Dribble
  ★  Small Game Scanning
  ★  Crossing Takeovers

Visual Comparison of Scan Rate Frequency and Duration

Untrained 4 Scans a Minute

Most untrained individuals fixate on the ball or player
in possession for 13.5 seconds for each 1.5 second scan
to look for teammates, opponents and open spaces.

Scanning Up To 600% More Often a Minute

Those who scan the most fixate on the ball or player in
possession for about 1.3 seconds for each 1 second scan
to look for teammates, opponents and open spaces.

Bibliography: "Visual Search Strategies in Experienced and Inexperienced Soccer Players"

Objectives of Scan Rate Training

Learning to use peripheral vision and to more frequently scan the field for information on teammates, opponents open spaces and movement provides more and higher quality information for better anticipation and faster decisions in sports.

The goals of improving scan rate are to train coaches, players and even referees to:

scan more frequently to anticipate faster by having as much near current information as possible at all times,
scan for greater detail to have the information to make faster more accurate decisions,
find teammates faster, especially for the fraction of a second when they may be open,
pass more accurately by having the most recent precise positional information on every player you have scanned,
fixate less frequently on the ball so your opponents will have fewer chances to make blindside runs that take advantage of those open spaces you can't see when you're fixated on the ball, and
play much faster at a speed your opponents are not comfortable playing at.

The minimum goal for scan rate training is to double the scan rate found in your beginning of the season baseline scan rate evaluation.

Scan Rate Training Progression

The following progression, used in the spring, 2016, improved the scan rate of youth players ages 9 and 10 by between 225% and over 350%.

Baseline Evaluation - A simple 8 minute 4 v 4 v 4 game was used over several practices to establish a baseline for each player's scanning in games. This evaluation was repeated at the end of the season to .
Eye Muscle Training - To train eye muscles, online and at home exercises were used to improve horizontal and vertical peripheral vision. Players practiced moving their eyes as far left and right as possible in their 220° horizontal peripheral vision arc and as far up and down in their 120° vertical vision arc without moving their head.
Static Scanning Exercises - To improve scanning online and at home exercises were done to train players to see colors and to identify objects in the peripheral field of vision.
Dynamic Scanning Exercises - To improve scanning while moving and/or of targets that are moving online, at home and going to and from practice exercises were used to train players to see colors and identify objects in their peripheral field of vision.
In Practice Exercises - To learn to avoid collisions with teammates and opponents scanning exercises were added to dribbling and running exercises in practices. These exercises can also be done as a pre-practice warm-up.
In Practice Games - A series of increasing demanding 8 minute 4 v 4 games were played with audio cues that prompt players to scan the more frequently in games and during game restarts.

Why Seeing More May Not Make You Faster

Scanning more frequently dramatically increases the amount of data available to make decisions, but making faster and making higher quality decisions is not automatic. Faster decisions depend on other vision skills and the player's understanding of the game. For example:

Long Term Visual Memory - Players and coaches instantly compare what they see in games to what they know in their long term visual memory. When there is a match an extremely high quality instant decision is made. If there is no match they usually miss their chance to make the best decision. They also usually miss the opportunity to learn to make the best decision the next time they see the same thing. In Europe, elite players trained to recall up to 10,000 visual images and video clips of game actions can accurately recall the images between 86% to 96% of the time. See Visual Memory
Short Term Working Memory - Players and coaches can only keep a limited number of visual images in their working memory. Most youth players only focus on 3 to 5 things at one time and any interruption replaces something they were already focusing on. See Visual Memory
Salient Targets When Scanning - Players and coaches must be able to instantly find, identify and remember the most important targets when scanning the field for teammates, opponents, open spaces and the ball. See Peripheral Awareness
Luminance to Find Teammates Instantly - Many professional clubs, like Barca and Chelsea, have gone to wearing uniforms with high impact colors or patterns in game. Statistics show their players find teammates faster and pass more accurately. When possible wear uniforms that can easily be seen in peripheral vision. See Intense Colors Patterns
Focus Flexibility to Find Teammates Faster - In games, players and coaches need to see teammates and opponents who are both close and far away. See Near Far Vision
Ability to Accurately Track Movement - Players and coaches need the contrast sensitivity to be able to accurately track moving teammates, opponents and the ball in all weather, lighting and field conditions. See Visual Tracking
Depth Perception to Know Where Targets Are - Players and coaches need the depth perception to know how far away visual targets are so they know how important each is in decision making. See Depth Perception
Knowledge of Common Soccer Terms - Players must learn all common soccer terms spoken by teammates and opponents to accurately make instant decisions based on what they hear. See Hearing & Terms Heard
Visual Dominance in Determining Position(s) Played - In most players information seen be their dominant eye is processed faster. For example, left eye dominant players are often right footed, detect movement in their left peripheral vision faster and often play better on the right side of the field. See Dominant Eye

MOVE TO SUPPORTING PAGES
Scan rate improvement in games varies by the player's developmental maturity, not chronological age, and benefits from an improved understanding of the game and positive encouragement.

TITLE /Developing a Faster Scan Rate - The Progression
BODY TEXT /Basic Scan Rate Training?
Baseline and Periodic Evaluations - Game based evaluations of each players scan rate and decision making in competitive games.
Eye Muscle & Teaming Exercises - Peripheral eye movement muscle and eye teaming (coordination) exercises develop a player's eyes so that they can scan more effectively and frequently for teammates, opponents and open spaces. At home exercises for 10 minutes a day.?

Level 2 Scan Rate Training
Online Movement Exercises - Online exercises that train players to scan up to 433% more often to see where their teammates, opponents and open spaces are in games. At home exercises for 10 minutes a day.
To and From Scanning Games - Scanning game for players to play on their way to and from their soccer practices and other activities. Game is played on player's own time.
Scanning While in Possession - In possession practice game to teach scanning while in possession and dribbling with special emphasis on possession with the chin up, scanning out of the top of the eyes to see teammates, opponents and spaces, while alternately scanning out of the bottom of the eyes to see the ball. In practice game for 10 to 12 minutes a week. Play more often for faster learning.

Level 3 Scan Rate Training
Online SSG Scanning - Recent studies document watching high level small sided games is very effective in improving a players ability to read games, scan and make decisions. At home exercises for 10 minutes a day.
Restart Scanning Practice Game - In practice games that use bright colored scrimmage vests and audio cues that teach players a faster scan rate while identifying teammates, opponents and spaces. Practice game for 10-12 minutes of practice time a week. Play more often for faster learning.
Match Scanning Practice Game - In practice games that use bright colored scrimmage vests and audio cues that teach players a faster scan rate while identifying teammates, opponents and spaces. Practice game for 10-12 minutes of practice time a week. Play more often for faster learning.

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SGS Faster Scan Rate Training TO SDC Scanning Rate