Optimizing Scanning in Youth Female Football: The Role of Verbal Instructions.
A five-second verbal cue raised scanning a large share and tripled good decisions in elite teen girl footballers.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Coaches worked with 24 elite girls on a top-level football team.
During 4v4 small-sided games they gave one-sentence cues: scan for teammates, opponents, and open space before you get the ball.
Each cue took less than five seconds. The coaches counted how many times players looked around and whether the next pass or move worked.
What they found
After the cue the players scanned a large share more often before receiving a pass.
Good passes, shots, or dribbles jumped from a large share to a large share.
In plain numbers, the right cue tripled the chance of a smart next move.
How this fits with other research
Hawley et al. (2004) warned that quick prompting claims can be over-hyped when practice time is not held steady. Here, practice time stayed the same—only the words changed—so the jump in scanning is more convincing.
McIntyre et al. (2002) showed that double-checking school quizzes raises accuracy. This study adds a sports version: a two-second coach check (the verbal cue) sharpens game decisions the same way a second grader’s paper gets fixed.
Cameron et al. (1996) found that reading gains stick when lesson and test content match. The football cue matched the game moment perfectly, so the skill transferred right away, just like matched reading passages.
Why it matters
You can borrow the cue word-for-word in any teen sport or PE class. One short sentence before the play is enough to boost looking and better choices. No extra gear, no long talk—just tell them what to notice, then let them play.
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Join Free →Before the next small-sided game say, “Eyes up—find teammates, opponents, and space,” then start play and tally scans.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Visual exploration, or scanning, is a key perceptual skill in football, enabling players to collect environmental information. It was shown that elite players scan more frequently than less experienced players and make better decisions in subsequent actions. However, to date, it is not clear how to improve and develop scanning behavior. This study examines the immediate effects of verbal instructions on scanning behavior and performance in 4v4 small-sided games among 25 elite youth female football players (mean ± SD age: 17.6 ± 0.7 years). Participants completed two training sessions: one with and one without verbal instructions. Verbal cues were specifically designed to encourage players to scan for teammates, opponents, and free spaces before receiving the ball. Scanning behavior and performance were analyzed using video footage, and data were statistically evaluated through multilevel generalized linear models. Verbal instructions increased the number of scans before ball reception by 27% (rate ratio: 1.27 and 95% CI [1.12, 1.44]), demonstrating their effectiveness in enhancing scanning behavior. Players who performed at least one scan were significantly more likely to achieve successful subsequent actions compared to those who did not scan (e.g., 1 scan: odds ratio = 3.40 and 95% CI [2.59, 4.62]). Notably, the additional scans did not negatively impact the relationship between scanning and the success of subsequent actions. The findings suggest that verbal instructions are a promising coaching tool for increasing the number of scans. Integrating scanning-focused instructions with broader tactical and decision-making training could further optimize perceptual skill development in elite youth football players.
, 2025 · doi:10.1002/ejsc.70070