IMPLEMENTATION OF VIRTUAL REALITY TECHNOLOGY IN SOCCER AS A TOOL TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE

The purpose of the research: to determine the potential for implementing virtual reality technology into soccer training programs as a means of improving athlete performance based on a systematic review of existing research.

Methods and organization of the research. The methodology included conducting a comprehensive literature review, collecting and summarizing the results of various studies on the use of virtual reality technology in soccer.

Research results and their discussion. Various applications of virtual reality technology in soccer have been explored, including skill and cognitive enhancement, injury prevention and rehabilitation, and stress management. Through various studies and experiments, scientists have demonstrated the usefulness of virtual reality technology for simulating training scenarios, analyzing data and improving performance in soccer athletes.

Conclusion. Soccer players can benefit from the immersive and controlled environment offered by virtual reality technology. It helps them improve spatial and temporal awareness, master technical movement skills, improve soccer skills, prevent injuries, speed up rehabilitation and manage anxiety and stress. The introduction of virtual reality technology into soccer means a paradigm shift in the approach to this sport, which can revolutionize traditional methods and improve athletes’ performance.

• Aydın A.İ., & Özyazıcıoğlu N. (2019). Using a Virtual Reality Headset to Decrease Pain Felt During a Venipuncture Procedure in Children. Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, 34(6), 1215-1221. doi: 10.1016/j.jopan.2019.05.134
• Fortes L.S., Almeida S.S., Praça G.M., Nascimento-Júnior J.R.A. et al. (2021). Virtual reality promotes greater improvements than video-stimulation screen on perceptual-cognitive skills in young soccer athletes. Human Movement Science, 79, 102856. doi: 10.1016/j.humov.2021.102856
• Gunawan A., Wiranto N., Wu D. (2023). IVAL Application of virtual reality in diverse fields of study in education sector: a systematic literature review. Procedia Computer Science, 227, 948-957. doi: 10.1016/j.procs.2023.10.602
• Gürbüz E., Taş M. (2023). The Effect of Virtual Reality Training on Heading Skills in 12-13 Years Old Child Footballers. Spor Bilimleri Araştırmaları Dergisi, 8(1), 43-56. doi: 10.25307/jssr.1172607
• Harrison K., Potts E., King A.C., Braun-Trocchio R. (2021). The Effectiveness of Virtual Reality on Anxiety and Performance in Female Soccer Players. Sports, 9(12). doi: 10.3390/sports9120167
• Kittel A., Larkin P., Elsworthy N., Spittle M. Using 360° virtual reality as a decision-making assessment tool in sport. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 22(9), 1049-1053. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2019.03.012
• Marshall B., Uiga L., Parr J.V.V., Wood G. (2023). A preliminary investigation into the efficacy of training soccer heading in immersive virtual reality. Virtual Reality, 27(3), 2397-2404. doi: 10.1007/s10055-023-00807-x
• McLeod P., Reed N., Gilson S., Glennerster A. (2008). How soccer players head the ball: A test of optic acceleration cancellation theory with virtual reality. Vision Research, 48(13), 1479-1487. doi: 10.1016/j.visres.2008.03.016
• Nambi G., Abdelbasset W.K., Elsayed S.H., Verma A. et al. (2021). Clinical and physical efficiency of virtual reality games in soccer players with low back pain. Revista Brasileira de Medicina do Esporte, 27(6), 597-602. doi: 10.1590/1517-8692202127062021_0034 
• Reneker J.C., Pannell W.C., Babl R.M., Zhang Y. et al. (2020). Virtual immersive sensorimotor training (VIST) in collegiate soccer athletes: A quasi-experimental study. Heliyon, 6(7), e04527. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04527
• Su M. (2023). Research on intelligent soccer teaching and training model integrating virtual reality technology. Applied Mathematics and Nonlinear Sciences, 9(1). doi: 10.2478/amns.2023.2.00875
• Wirth M., Gradl S., Poinmann D., Schaefke H. et al. (2018). Assessment of Perceptual-Cognitive Abilities among Athletes in Virtual Environments: Exploring Interaction Concepts for Soccer Players. Proceedings of the 2018 Designing Interactive Systems Conference, 1013-1023. doi: 10.1145/3196709.3196780
• Zhao K., Guo X. (2022). Analysis of the Application of Virtual Reality Technology in Football Training. Journal of Sensors, 2022, 1-8. doi: 10.1155/2022/1339434