Congratulations to BCA Sport Science lecturer Callum Parker-Stubbs, whose latest research has been published in the highly respected International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport.
The study, titled ‘Visual Exploratory Activity of Youth Soccer Defenders: Insights from Out-of-Possession Play’, investigates how youth football defenders scan and gather information during different defensive phases of play. The research focused on providing valuable new insights into player decision-making and defensive performance in academy football.
The International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport is a leading publication dedicated to advancing knowledge and understanding of sports performance. The journal publishes original research that informs both academic study and professional practice, making publication a significant achievement due to its highly competitive nature and rigorous peer-review process.
Callum’s research addresses an area that has received relatively little attention within football performance analysis. While previous studies have largely focused on visual exploratory activity (VEA) – commonly known as scanning – when players are in possession of the ball, much less is known about how defenders scan the game when they are out of possession.
Using manually coded video footage, the study analysed the visual exploratory activity of academy defenders across three key out-of-possession phases:
- – Periods of at least 10 seconds without ball contact
- – The 10 seconds prior to an opposition set piece
- – The 10 seconds preceding a positive defensive action, such as an interception
In total, 696 individual phases of play were analysed.
The findings revealed that defenders’ scanning behaviour varies significantly depending on the phase of play. Scan rates were highest before opposition set pieces, averaging 0.32 scans per second, suggesting defenders actively gather information to prepare for potentially dangerous situations. Scan rates were lowest before positive defensive actions, averaging 0.17 scans per second, while prolonged defending phases produced intermediate scan rates of 0.24 scans per second.
These results demonstrate that defensive scanning is highly context-dependent and provide valuable insights for coaches working to develop players’ anticipation, positioning and defensive awareness. The research also highlights opportunities for future investigation into the specific information defenders seek when scanning and whether similar patterns exist among elite-level players.
Speaking about the publication, Callum said: “Having research published in the International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to our understanding of player behaviour in football. The study highlights the importance of defensive scanning and provides practical insights that can support player development and coaching practice.”
The publication represents an important achievement for both Callum and BCA, further demonstrating the college’s commitment to high-quality research, applied sport science and industry-relevant teaching.
Read the full research paper here.
