Reader, “I spend the entire 90 minutes looking for space on the pitch. I’m always between the opposition’s two holding midfielders and thinking, ‘The defence is here, so I get the ball and I go there to where the space is.'”
Xavi
What separates the best midfielders in the world from the rest? Often, it is not their physical speed, but the speed of their perception. Long before the ball arrives at their feet, elite players are playing the “invisible game”, constantly reading the movements of teammates, opponents, and space. This behaviour is scientifically referred to as Visual Exploratory Activity (VEA), or “scanning”. Groundbreaking research from outside the PDP sphere by Dr. Geir Jordet has shown that players with higher scan rates (looking over their shoulder before receiving the ball) possess a higher completion rate of forward passes and make faster, more effective decisions. To develop players who are aware and tactically flexible, we must move beyond simply coaching the action on the ball and start coaching the moments before the ball arrives. We need our players to be perceptually attuned to the critical information in their environment so they can anticipate, rather than just react. Three Things to Consider1. Are your practices directional? If a passing drill has no direction, opposition, or consequence, players have no reason to scan their environment. 2. Ask perceptual questions. Instead of telling a player what to do, ask them: “What did you see before you called for the ball?” 3. Body shape matters. Encourage players to receive the ball on the half-turn or back foot, which naturally opens up their field of vision to see more of the pitch. One thing to try this weekSet up a positional game (like a 4v4+3). To encourage scanning, stand on the outside of the grid. Whenever a specific central player is about to receive the ball, hold up a colored cone. If they can shout the color before taking their first touch, their team gets a bonus point. One Critical Resource on the TopicDive into our Masterclass Discussion with Dave Eldridge on Scanning and Awareness in Football, which explores the research behind VEA and how to design sessions that promote it.
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