Promoting perception–action coupling in sport: the role of preparation within coaching environments

In recent years, there has been considerable interest in the coupling of perception and action and resultant practices to support the exploration of perceptual motor landscapes (e.g., through representative design). Although perception–action coupling can capably explain the organisation of behaviour and action in some contexts, there are also some noteworthy issues and challenges with its scholarship and application (e.g., within coaching or team-sport environments). With this in mind, this paper initially reviews current evidence and associated issues with perception–action coupling and its mechanisms. From here, we offer proposals for addressing identified limitations. In particular, we contend that a priori planning and preparation are key to optimising the efficacy and operation of perception-action coupling within performance settings. As part of this, we explore whether movement control may be better explained by alternative approaches (e.g., predictive processing) and more effectively facilitated through a wider set of coaching and psychology tools.