® 2003 Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc. Perceptual and Cognitive Skill Development in Soccer: The Multidimensional Nature of Expert Performance

This study examined the relative contribution of visual, perceptual, and cog-nitive skills to the development of expertise in soccer. Elite and sub-elite play-ers, ranging in age from 9 to 17 years, were assessed using a multidimensional battery of tests. Four aspects of visual function were measured: static and dynamic visual acuity; stereoscopic depth sensitivity; and peripheral aware-ness. Perceptual and cognitive skills were assessed via the use of situational probabilities, as well as tests of anticipation and memory recall. Stepwise dis-criminant analyses revealed that the tests of visual function did not consis-tently discriminate between skill groups at any age. Tests of anticipatory per-formance and use of situational probabilities were the best in discriminating across skill groups. Memory recall of structured patterns of play was most predictive of age. As early as age 9, elite soccer players demonstrated superior perceptual and cognitive skills when compared to their sub-elite counterparts. Implications for training perceptual and cognitive skill in sport are discussed. Key Words: anticipation, memory recall, situational probabilities, visual func-tion The quest to identify key factors underlying the acquisition of expert perfor-mance has stimulated much discussion in recent years (e.g., Howe, Davidson, & Sloboda, 1998). The nature/nurture debate has often taken center stage and diver-gent explanations of exceptional performance have emerged (Ericsson, Krampe, & Tesch-Romer, 1993; Winner, 1996). Although polar accounts of expertise have been considered contentious (e.g., Stemberg, 1998), particularly in sport (Singer & Janelle, 1999), some research still promotes a parochial view of skilled perfor-mance. A popular standpoint advocated by optometrists is that successful athletes are endowed with superior visual systems, supporting a "hardware " account of expert performance (Coffey & Reichow, 1995; Loran & Griffiths, 1998; Sherman