ABSTRACT

An ability to execute the right pass at the right time in association football requires the accurate perception of information coupled to the skilled co-ordination of movement. The fact that skilled perceptual anticipation is complementary to successful action has led sport scientists to seek to determine its precise role in a variety of sport tasks. In this chapter, we will briefly explore the literature on perceptual anticipation in association football before providing evidence that demonstrates that changes in ecological task constraints (i.e. information display and response requirements) can directly influence the visual anticipatory behaviour of goalkeepers. We then turn our attention to research examining the co-ordination of a football kicking action. We will share how task constraints provided in the learning environment help to shape the emergence of different but equally successful movement solutions among novice learners. Finally, we provide an example of how practitioners can exploit understanding from the combined body of empirical evidence for the design of coaching activities.