Institute of Sports Science

Cognitive Performance Factors in Sports Games

The term cognition refers to the processes of receiving and processing information, which are linked to perception, recognition and decision-making during our actions. Cognitive factors are often decisive for performance in sports games, particularly for players who are already highly developed with regard to their technical skills and their physiology.

Based on sports scientific expertise research, we focus on the conception and evaluation of diagnostics and training methods for cognitive processes in sports games such as football, handball and basketball. Here, the focus is on

  • the visual anticipation of goalkeepers in defensive situations (Topic 1) and
  • decision-making skills of outfield players in offensive situations (Topic 2).

Selected publications

Visual anticipation of goalkeepers [Topic 1]

  • Hosp, B. W., Schultz, F., Höner, O. & Kasneci, E. (2021). Soccer goalkeeper expertise identification based on eye movements. PLoS ONE 16(5): e0251070. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0251070
  • Hosp, B., Schultz, F., Kasneci, E., & Höner, O. (2021). Expertise Classification of Soccer Goalkeepers in Highly Dynamic Decision Tasks: A Deep Learning Approach for Temporal and Spatial Feature Recognition of Fixation Image Patch Sequences. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 3(183). https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2021.692526
  • Schurr, A. (2019). Kognitive Leistungsfaktoren von Handballtorhütern – Eine Analyse der Antizipationsfähigkeit im Experten-Novizen-Vergleich unter Verwendung unterschiedlicher methodischer Designs (Cognitive performance factors of handball goalkeepers – An analysis of anticipation skills in expert-novice comparisons using different methodological designs). Hamburg: Dr. Kovač.
  • Schultz, F. (2014). Antizipation von Fußballtorhütern – Untersuchung zur Konzeption einer kognitiven Leistungsdiagnostik im Kontext der sportwissenschaftlichen Talentforschung (Anticipation of Soccer-Goalkeepers – Study for a conception of a cognitive performance diagnostics in the context of sports science talent research). Hamburg: Dr. Kovač. [pdf]

 

Decision-making of outfield players [topic 2]

  • Reinhard, M. L., Mann, D. L., & Höner, O. (2025). The role of generic cognitive skills: An empirical investigation into the association between generic and sport-specific cognitive skills and playing level in youth football. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 28(7), 587-593. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2025.01.010
  • Höner, O., Dugandzic, D., Hauser, T., Stügelmaier, M., Willig, N., & Schultz, F. (2023). Do you have a good all-around view? Evaluation of a decision-making skills diagnostic tool using 360° videos and head-mounted displays in elite youth soccer. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 5, 1171262. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2023.1171262
  • Harenberg, S., McCarver, Z., Worley, J., Murr, D., Vosloo, J., Kakar, R. S., McCaffrey, R., Dorsch, K., & Höner, O. (2021). The effectiveness of 3D multiple object tracking training on decision-making in soccer. Science and Medicine in Football, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1080/24733938.2021.1965201
  • Rösch, D., Schultz, F. & Höner, O. (2021). Decision-Making Skills in Youth Basketball Players: Diagnostic and External Validation of a Video-Based Assessment. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(5), 2331. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052331
  • Murr, D., Larkin, P. & Höner, O. (2020). Decision-making skills of high-performance youth soccer players. German Journal of Exercise and Sport Research 51, 102–111. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12662-020-00687-2
  • Höner, O. (2005). Entscheidungshandeln im Sportspiel Fußball – Eine Analyse im Lichte der Rubikontheorie (Decision-making in soccer – An analysis in light of the Rubicon theory). Schorndorf: Hofmann.

PhDs

  • Rösch, D. (2024). Erfassung personbezogener Talentmerkmale im Nachwuchsbasketball – Empirische Untersuchungen zur Evaluation von Diagnostiken und möglichen Einflussfaktoren (Assessment of person-related talent characteristics in youth basketball – Empirical investigations regarding the evaluation of diagnostics and potential influencing factors). Dissertation. University of Tübingen. http://dx.doi.org/10.15496/publikation-94248
  • Hosp, B. (2022). Latent gaze Information in highly dynamic decision-tasks. Dissertation. University of Tübingen. http://dx.doi.org/10.15496/publikation-66481
  • Schurr, A. (2019). Kognitive Leistungsfaktoren von Handballtorhütern – Eine Analyse der Antizipationsfähigkeit im Experten-Novizen-Vergleich unter Verwendung unterschiedlicher methodischer Designs (Cognitive performance factors of handball goalkeepers – An analysis of anticipation skills in expert-novice comparisons using different methodological designs). Hamburg: Dr. Kovač.
  • Schultz, F. (2014). Antizipation von Fußballtorhütern – Untersuchung zur Konzeption einer kognitiven Leistungsdiagnostik im Kontext der sportwissenschaftlichen Talentforschung (Anticipation of Soccer-Goalkeepers – Study for a conception of a cognitive performance diagnostics in the context of sports science talent research). Hamburg: Dr. Kovač. [pdf]
  • Höner, O. (2005). Entscheidungshandeln im Sportspiel Fußball – Eine Analyse im Lichte der Rubikontheorie (Decision-making in soccer – An analysis in light of the Rubicon theory). Schorndorf: Hofmann.

Third-party funded projects

  • O. Höner: Wahrnehmung und Entscheidungshandeln im Fußball (Perception and decision-making in soccer). [Pilot project of the DFB-Akademie, Project duration: 2017-2019]
  • O. Höner & T. Hermann: Entwicklung und Evaluation eines sonifikationsbasierten Gerätes zur Leistungsdiagnostik und Trainingssteuerung für den Sehgeschädigten-Leistungssport (Development and evaluation of a sonification-based device for performance diagnostics and training monitoring in competitive sports involving vision-impaired athletes). [Bundesinstitut für Sportwissenschaft, VF070404/05-06, Project duration: 2005 - 2006]
  • K. Roth, J. Schorer & O. Höner: Antizipation als Prädiktor für die Talentsichtung von Hockeytorhütern und ihre Entwicklung bis in die Adoleszenz (Anticipation as predictor for talent identification of hockey goalkeepers and their development throughout adolescence). [Support project in elite sports in the field of training methodology at the Bundesinstitut für Sportwissenschaft, Project duration: 2005]
  • K. Willimczik & O. Höner: Zwischen Motivation und Volition – Zum Erklärungswert des Rubikon-Modells für Sportspielhandlungen (Between motivation and volition – On the explanatory value of the Rubicon model for actions in sports games). [Bundesinstitut für Sportwissenschaft, VF 0407/10/10/2001, Project duration: 2001 - 2002]

Research overview