Combined visual and dribbling performance in young soccer players of different expertise

ABSTRACTWe aimed to evaluate dribbling performance in terms of technique and visual skills assessment of both young experienced (EX, n = 24) and novice (NO, n = 24) soccer players. Both groups performed two dribbling tests with four levels of difficulty in visual signals (A1–A4 and B1–B4; B – half distance of A; 1 – no visual signal; 4 – signal with the shorter flashing time). All players performed slower when visual signals were added to the testing process (~2.5 s; p < 0.01). EX completed all tests faster than NO (~3 s, p < 0.01). The average number of visual mistakes was significantly lower for EX than NO in all tests (p < 0.01). These results demonstrated the importance of evaluating dribbling along with visual stimuli in young soccer EX and NO players.