Gender and Expertise Affect Visual Search and Performance in Football Penalty Kicks

Abstract Female players are underrepresented in research on gaze patterns, and direct comparisons between male and female penalty takers of varying expertise are scarce. Identifying perceptual and cognitive differences across these groups can inform targeted training strategies. This study primarily investigates how gender and expertise shape visual search and performance during power and placement penalty kicks, and secondarily examines how these factors relate to kick success. Forty-four football players were assigned to four groups (n=11 per group): professional men, professional women, amateur men, and amateur women. Participants wore a portable eye tracker and executed five power and five placement penalty kicks. Measures were duration and number of fixations on areas of interest and kick outcome (goal vs. no goal) and ball end location (high and low center and edges). Visual and performance variables were influenced by both gender and expertise. Gender differences were evident, with male players - particularly professionals - showing greater ball-focused fixations, while female players distributed gaze more toward alternative areas of interest. Professional players exhibited more stable gaze patterns, characterized by longer fixations on the ball, although these behaviors did not consistently predict successful outcomes. These findings indicate that certain gaze strategies may be associated with expertise but vary in their effectiveness depending on situational and individual factors. The interplay between gender and expertise shapes visual search strategies in penalty kicks, suggesting that training interventions should consider these variables when aiming to optimize performance.