The Effect of Quiet Eye Training on Gaze Behaviors and Anticipation of Soccer Penalty Kick in Expert Goalkeepers

Successful anticipation is a key factor for success in saving soccer penalty kick for goalkeepers and introducing optimal interventions to enhance this ability can be useful for improving the level of performance. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of quiet eye training on anticipation of penalty kick by expert goalkeepers and their gaze behaviors during this anticipation. Participants were 20 expert goalkeepers working in Tehran pro league matches who were randomly assigned to training and placebo groups and passed tests and training interventions. Gaze data were registered using Pupil eye tracker and penalty kick anticipation was recorded using temporal occlusion paradigm. 30 videos of real penalty kicks by expert soccer players were recorded and ball-foot contact moments were occluded so that goalkeepers could anticipate the direction of ball kicking in those videos. Results of 2*4 mixed ANOVA showed that despite of homogeneity of training and placebo groups in pretest (P>0.05), training group had advantage in other phases and this advantage was maintained under pressure (P<0.05). The training enhanced successful anticipation and changed gaze behaviors proportional to successful anticipation and these changes were sustained during 72 hours of retention and transfer test under pressure. Training interventions based on quiet eye can be used as a training package along with physical training and skills of soccer goalkeepers and therefore help them to improve perceptual capabilities and to optimally use visual signs.