Analyzing Multiple Object Tracking Accuracy in Ice Hockey Players 13–15 Years Old

The multiple object tracking task is extensively utilized to assess athletes in team sports, such as hockey, due to its relevance to real-game scenarios involving the tracking of partners and opponents. Typically, task difficulty is evaluated based on the number of objects and motion speed; however, the impact of additional parameters on athletes' tracking accuracy has been largely overlooked. The aim of the current study is to investigate the relationship between the accuracy of a three-dimensional multiple object tracking task and the task parameters, as well as the playing positions of ice hockey players aged 13 to 15 years. A total of 29 forwards and 20 defensemen participated in a virtual reality-based three-dimensional multiple object tracking task. Key metrics recorded included task accuracy, total path length of objects, number of collisions, number of occlusions, and motion speed of the objects. A generalized linear mixed model analysis revealed that motion speed and the frequency of occlusions caused by distractors obscuring the target negatively impacted tracking accuracy. This finding highlights the necessity of incorporating various task parameters in the applied assessment of athletes. Moreover, no significant relationship was found between multiple object tracking performance and the playing positions of adolescent hockey players when controlling for task parameters. This indicates a need for domain-specific testing of athletes and suggests future comparisons involving adult athletes across different playing positions.