The Effect of Fatigue on Decision- Making and the Visual Search behavior of Novice and Expert Soccer Players

The goal of this study is to compare the effect of fatigue on decision-making and visual search behavior of novice and expert soccer players. Participants were 14 male novice soccer players (mean age= 22.5 years) and 14 experts (mean age= 27.4 years). Both groups watched films of 1 Vs. 1 attack situations. Then they announced their decision to move left, right, or shoot in two circumstances of not fatigue and fatigue. The results of t-test showed that there was no significant difference between the scores of decision making of both groups in pre-test and posttest. (P>0.05).The number and duration of fixation were evaluated by ANOVA. The results of the number of fixations showed that the main effect of skill level was significant (P<0.05), but the main effect of the test stages was not significant (P>0.05). Also, the interactive effect of skill level at the gaze points, skill interaction with the test stages, interaction between the gaze areas with the test stages and interaction between the level of skill in the gaze areas of the test stages were not significant (P>0.05). The results of fixation time showed that the main effect of skill level and test stages was not significant (P>0.05). The interactive effect of skill level in the test stages and interaction of skill level, gaze points in the test stages were significant (P<0.05). It is suggested that players to be trained to pay attention to critical points of opponents body in fatigue situations.