The aim of this study was to analyze visual search strategies of baseball batters during the viewing period of the pitcher's motion. The 18 subjects were 9 experts and 9 novices. While subjects viewed a videotape which, from a right-handed batter's perspective, showed a pitcher throwing a series of 10 types of pitches, their eye movements were measured and analyzed. Novices moved their eyes faster than experts, and the distribution area of viewing points was also wider than that of the experts. The viewing duration of experts of the pitching arm was longer than those of novices during the last two pitching phases. These results indicate that experts set their visual pivot on the pitcher's elbow and used peripheral vision properties to evaluate the pitcher's motion and the ball trajectory.

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This study analyzed visual search strategies of soccer players in one-on-one defensive situations on the field. The 8 subjects were 4 experts and 4 novices. While subjects tackled an offensive player for possession of the ball, their eye movements were measured and analyzed. Statistically significant differences between the visual search strategies of experts and novices showed experts fixated more often on both the knee and the hip regions of opponents than novices did. This suggests that information gained from the movements of these areas was important in anticipating an opponent's next move. Findings suggest the importance in soccer for players not to focus too closely on the ball, but on an opponent's knee and hip.

The critical flicker frequencies (CFF) were determined for various locations on the retina. Under the conditions in which pupil size varies little with target luminance and size for a retinal location, two findings were obtained. First, the relation between the CFF value and the retinal location depends basically upon the density distribution of the receptor cells (cones and rods) on the retina. Second, when a large test field is employed, the peripheral area shows a maximal CFF value. These characteristics are explicable in terms of the retinal structure and by assuming some functions for it.

This study analyzed the visual behaviors of soccer players while they kicked with the inside of the foot, which involved near and far aiming skills. Participants (N = 8) were required to step forward and kick a ball to hit a target. The top three scorers were defined as the High-score group, and the three low scorers were defined as the Low-score group. Analysis indicated that the High-score group was characterized by longer quiet eye durations, which were defined as the final fixation durations on the target prior to the initiation of a kicking movement, than the Low-score group in the preparation phase. The High-score group also set their visual pivot on the frontal space between the target and the ball in the kicking phase. These two visual behaviors of the High-score group are important for soccer players to kick a ball successfully with the inside of the foot.