Influence of ball reception on multiple player tracking in a virtual soccer environment

Abstract Prospective decision-making in soccer requires taking information about teammates and opponents while ensuring effective reception and control of the ball. This multitasking aspect of soccer has rarely been considered in laboratory studies examining the relationship between expertise and visual attention measured in a visual tracking task. This research explored the ability of soccer players to pay attention to their environment when receiving a ball in simulated backward passing situations in a CAVE. Twenty-four soccer players, 12 high-skilled and 12 less-skilled, participated in this study. The visual tracking performance and global displacement of both groups were compared across different experimental conditions, which involved monitoring virtual teammates and opponents, receiving a virtual ball, or performing both tasks simultaneously. When the virtual ball was present in the scene, visual tracking performance decreased, and the global displacement increased. However, no additional differences were observed when ball reception was required. Furthermore, no differences between the two groups of participants were observed under any experimental condition. Adding the possibility to interact with the ball appears to engage participants in movement, introducing a constraint that exists in real game situations when perceiving teammates and opponents. However, the relationship between the perceptual-cognitive skills involved in visual tracking and expertise in soccer remains unclear. Further adaptations to the experimental protocol and the virtual environment are required to thoroughly investigate soccer players’ ability to interact with their complex and dynamic performance environment.