The Effect of Visual–Motor Perception Exercises on Motor Reaction Speed and Decision-Making in Football for Students

Abstract

Visual-motor perception is a fundamental ability that contributes to the development of motor and cognitive performance in football players, as it is the primary link between receiving visual stimuli and the appropriate motor response in fast-paced game situations. Given the importance of this aspect in improving response speed and decision-making accuracy, this research aimed to demonstrate the effect of visual-motor perception exercises on these two variables among football players from the College of Physical Education and Sports Sciences at the University of Baghdad. The study employed an experimental design with two groups (experimental and control) and used pre- and post-tests. The results showed statistically significant differences favoring the experimental group in response speed and decision-making accuracy, confirming the effectiveness of perceptual exercises in developing neuro-motor performance. The discussion also indicated that integrating these exercises into training programs contributes to accelerating visual processing and increasing the accuracy of interaction with field situations. The research concluded that combining physical and perceptual training achieves better results than relying solely on traditional training, and it recommends including visual-motor perception exercises in university curricula to develop players' skill levels.