Visual Search Strategies and Decision-Making in Highly Trained Female Youth Basketball Players: A Quasi-Experimental in Situ Study of Gaze Behavior during Pick-and-Roll Plays

This study explored how U16 female basketball players direct their visual attention and make decisions during side pick-and-roll situations under realistic game conditions. Twelve experienced players participated in 4v4 scenarios, where defensive strategies were systematically varied to reflect authentic tactical challenges. Using Pupil Core eye-tracking glasses operating at 120 Hz, we recorded gaze behavior without restricting natural movement on the court. Gaze data were synchronized with nine predefined tactical areas of interest using the surface tracker plugin, enabling detailed analysis of visual search behavior in dynamic environments. Time-series, entropy, and gaze transition analyses revealed that offensive decisions were closely shaped by defensive constraints. “Pass to Roller” and “Pass to Corner” were the most frequent responses, depending on the defensive strategy in place. Players’ gaze patterns evolved throughout each trial, with final fixations on decision targets occurring mainly in the last phase of action preparation. Focused visual strategies were more common in shooting and passing decisions, whereas broader search behavior’s characterized driving actions. These findings show that young players adapt their visual attention on a moment-to-moment basis in response to tactical demands, and support the relevance of in situ eye-tracking as a tool for understanding perception and decision-making in youth basketball.