Scanning in football: the more frequent, the more successful
In football, decisions are often made in fractions of a second. Pass, shoot or dribble? Good decisions are frequently the result of a perceptual–cognitive skill called scanning, which may appear insignificant at first glance, but can be decisive: it is precisely this skill that Mirjam Hintermann from the Swiss Federal Institute of Sport Magglingen SFISM examined in depth in her doctoral thesis.
Scanning refers to a player’s active head movement, when she deliberately takes her eyes off the ball. She orients herself: Where are her teammates? Where are the opponents lurking? Where are spaces opening up? Those who regularly ‘read’ the pitch gain a crucial information advantage – even before the ball arrives.
Commitment to women’s football
At the heart of her research are U19 players in elite and grassroots football. In men’s football, scanning has been studied increasingly in recent years. Research has shown that both the frequency and timing of scanning play a decisive role in the success of the subsequent action with the ball. Comparable findings for women’s football, however, have so far largely been lacking. ‘Differences between men’s and women’s football – ranging from physical attributes to tactical and structural factors – can change the dynamics of the game,’ says Hintermann. ‘This also means that the demands on perception and decision-making differ, underlining the importance of research specifically tailored to women’s football.’
Her work was based on detailed video analyses of match situations, capturing players’ precise behaviour on the pitch. The study examined not only how often and when young female players scan, but also whether this influences the success of the subsequent action – and how strongly opposing pressure plays a role.
The results are clear: elite players scan more frequently than grassroots players, particularly immediately before receiving the ball. Overall, those who scan more often act more successfully – regardless of performance level. High pressure from opponents reduced both the frequency of scanning and the subsequent success of actions among all players.
The role of coaches
Whether this behaviour can be trained, and what role coaches play in this process remains an unanswered question. Mirjam Hintermann therefore conducted two further studies. One of these examined the immediate effects of verbal instructions on scanning behaviour and the outcome of subsequent actions among elite youth players. The results showed that players scanned the pitch almost 30% more frequently before receiving the ball when coaches provided them with targeted instructions.
The second study analysed a five-week training programme to develop scanning skills among U19 players at both elite and grassroots levels. In the elite group, a significant increase in scanning per game situation was observed – an effect that was still evident after two weeks. Among the grassroots players, however, no significant improvements were found. This suggests that either a basic level of motor skills is required, or that longer training periods are necessary in order to benefit from perceptual-cognitive training.
The doctoral thesis thus provides an evidence-based foundation for coaching practice. Coaches are given practical tools to support their players in a targeted way, thus enabling optimal acquisition of perceptual–cognitive skills in match situations.
About the researcher
Mirjam Hintermann completed her Master’s degree in sports, specialising in elite sports, at the Swiss Federal Institute of Sport in Magglingen SFISM. She completed her PhD in Magglingen and at the University of Fribourg. She currently works as a training science research assistant.
Profile of Mirjam Hintermann, SFISM Publications and Projects Database
Further information
- The influence of scanning behaviour on performance during 4v4 small-sided games in youth female football, Taylor & Francis
- Optimizing Scanning in Youth Female Football: The Role of Verbal Instructions, PubMed
- «Heads Up Girls!» a training intervention to improve scanning behavior in youth female football, Frontiers
- Head Up, Girl! Scanning improves performance in girls’ youth football, Swiss Olympic Science Award 2024, 2nd place (in German)
Exercise Science
Exercise Science conducts research in the field of talent identification, talent development as well as long-term performance development.