EYE MOVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE IN PROFESSIONAL SPORT: A NARRATIVE REVIEW
Abstract
Visual information supports anticipation, decision-making, and movement control in professional sport, yet visual performance comprises distinct optical, oculomotor, attentional, and perceptual-cognitive processes. This narrative review evaluated evidence directly linking eye movements or quantitative oculomotor measures with sport-specific performance in professional or international-level athletes. PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for studies published from 2015 to 2025, with backward and forward citation tracking. Eight eligible studies represented association football, Australian Rules football, baseball, cricket, and tennis. In football, more frequent and appropriately timed scanning was associated with a greater probability of successful passing, while in-situ eye tracking indicated that information was often acquired during brief scans without conventionally classified fixations. More successful Australian Rules football decisions were characterized by faster responses, fewer fixations, and greater allocation of viewing time to viable options. In baseball and cricket, smooth-pursuit accuracy, oculomotor timing, fixation stability, and composite visual measures were associated with plate discipline, competitive level, batting, and bowling outcomes. Tennis returners demonstrated individualized but adaptable visual search strategies centered on phase-specific kinematic information. Across sports, the findings support task-specific and context-sensitive gaze control rather than a universal expert pattern. However, the evidence is limited by predominantly observational designs, small male samples, heterogeneous devices and definitions, and limited external validation. Eye-tracking and oculomotor assessment may complement clinical, technical, and tactical evaluation, but training prescription and talent-selection applications require standardized methods, prospective validation, and demonstrated transfer to competition.