What Scanning Is — and What It Isn't
Scanning refers to a player's active head and eye movement, used to gather information about their surroundings before their next action on the ball: Where are opponents? Where are teammates? Where is space? The research definition is deliberately narrow: It counts the movement of the head away from the ball, with the intention of gathering information — before the ball arrives.
Three distinctions sharpen the definition:
Scanning is not just a single glance over the shoulder. It's a continuous rhythm: looking, tracking the ball, looking again — many times per minute, ideally in sync with the game's rhythm.
Scanning is not an end in itself. The glance alone yields nothing if the information isn't processed and translated into a decision. Jordet himself tirelessly emphasizes this point: Scanning alone is never enough — players must absorb the information and convert it into action.
Scanning isn't just a topic for defensive midfielders. Research shows positional differences — central midfielders scan the most, forwards the least — but the benefit applies everywhere: The center-back who sees the pressing player before receiving, the striker who spots the gap in the defensive line, the goalkeeper who knows the passing options.
In German coaching jargon, this was long called "looking around" or simply "head up!". Research has given the phenomenon data — and thus also a direction for training. The basics of the topic: Scanning and Orientation in Football.
There's a simple reason why this topic is receiving so much attention right now: The game has become tighter and faster. Time on the ball has been decreasing for years at all levels — anyone who only starts thinking after receiving the ball is too late. The answer from top players is to shift the work before ball contact. This is precisely where scanning comes in: It shifts the competition from the feet to the seconds before.
The Case Study: Geir Jordet and 25 Years of Perceptual Research
Geir Jordet is a sports psychologist and professor at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences (NIH) in Oslo. Since the late 90s, he has been investigating what happens in the minds of footballers before they act — initially with video analyses of individual players, later with large-scale studies in professional football, including works on penalties and pressure situations. He has worked with clubs and federations across Europe and is considered the leading authority on the subject.
What makes his work so valuable for coaches is the combination of three elements:
Real games instead of the lab. Jordet's most well-known studies analyze players in real Premier League matches — using cameras that capture behavior before ball reception. No reaction lights, no lab conditions: the game itself.
Large sample sizes. His most extensive study comprises 1,279 game situations involving 118 midfield and attacking players in the Premier League — enough to distinguish patterns from randomness.
Practical application. Jordet doesn't just conduct research; he works with players and academies on trainability — while also cautioning against oversimplifying his own findings. This dual role makes him the ideal expert witness for training that takes perception seriously without turning it into a fetish.
Key Findings in Numbers
What exactly does the research show? The central findings that coaches can rely on:
Scanning differentiates performance levels. Jordet's early works already showed: Top players scan significantly more often than amateurs. The behavior scales with the level — strongly suggesting that it is part of expertise and not merely a side effect.
Scanning is linked to passing success. The large Premier League study revealed a positive correlation between scanning frequency and pass completion rate — most notably for difficult passes: forward passes, under pressure, in tight spaces. The most striking figure: The most frequent scanners achieved over 80 percent pass accuracy, while the least frequent remained below 60.
The best scan the most. Players who had won individual awards scanned more frequently on average than their teammates. Correlation is not causation — but the pattern is consistent across studies.
Context matters. Scanning frequency varies systematically with position, game phase, pressure, and space. Good scanners adapt their rhythm to the situation — more scanning occurs before receiving the ball in the center than during a counter-attack down the wing.
However, the most important message for youth coaches is different: The biographies of the best scanners consistently show systematic training during childhood. Perception is a habit — and habits are built early.
Ødegaard, Haaland, De Bruyne: Three Learning Paths
Three prominent examples from Jordet's work show how diverse the path to world-class perception can be:
Martin Ødegaard — the training product. The Arsenal captain is one of the most remarkable scanners in Jordet's measurements: an almost restless survey of his surroundings, building a mental map before receiving the ball. The backstory is crucial: Ødegaard systematically trained scanning with his father from around the age of eight — as a conscious habit, long before it became a research topic. The lesson: What looks like genius here was a curriculum.
Erling Haaland — the exceptional case for his position. Strikers scan the least on average — their role is often to exploit the final gap, not to see the whole picture. Haaland stands out precisely for this, according to Jordet's assessment: For a center-forward, he scans an exceptional amount. Again, no coincidence — Haaland comes from a club and coaching environment (Bryne, Molde) where youth coaches systematically worked on perception. His famous runs into depth begin with a glance, not with the sprint.
Kevin De Bruyne — the master of timing. Jordet calls De Bruyne a master of scanning — not just because of the frequency, but because of the quality: glances at precisely the right moment, combined with the ability to translate that information into deadly passes. De Bruyne shows where the journey is heading: From how often to when and what.
Three players, one commonality: No one was born with radar. The habit was built — through environment, training, and thousands of repetitions. This is precisely the invitation to every youth coach.
The Limits of the Number: Scanning Doesn't Mean Seeing Yet
Before we get to training, the most important warning — it comes from Jordet himself: Frequency isn't everything. Anyone who reduces the research to "look more often = play better" creates a new problem: players who mechanically turn their heads without taking anything in. They scan — but they don't see.
Three differentiations that training needs:
Quality over quantity. One glance at the right time into the right space beats five hectic head turns. The measure is not the movement, but the information: Does the player know where their opponent is after the glance?
Processing is part of it. Understanding lies between seeing and acting. That's why every perception training must include a decision-making component: The glance must inform a choice, otherwise it remains theater. The connection in detail: Decision-Making Training in Football.
The command replaces nothing. "Shoulder check!" as a constant shout at best produces mechanical nodding. The habit is formed through drills where the glance is rewarded because it is useful — not because the coach demands it.
This nuance separates good perception training from caricature. Research provides the evidence that it's worthwhile — the methodology must ensure it becomes real.
When to Scan: The Timing Principle
If not "as often as possible" — then when? A clear timing framework can be derived from research and practice:
The last glance before receiving the ball is the most valuable. Information becomes outdated in seconds. A glance three seconds before receiving the ball is history by the time the ball arrives. The key moment: while the ball is in transit — the pass is on its way, the opponent is briefly committed, the picture is fresh.
Scan when the ball is gone. The best time for scanning is when the player is not on the ball — which is almost always. Rule of thumb for advanced players: Immediately reorient after every action; at least one fresh glance before every potential reception.
The higher the pressure, the earlier the information. In the center, with opponents at your back, the picture must be complete before ball contact — after that, there's no time left. On the wing, with the sideline as protection, the glance can come later.
Respect positional profiles. The defensive midfielder needs the 360-degree picture, the winger the half-space, the striker the last line and the goalkeeper. Perception training becomes more effective when it defines the scanning objectives for each position.
From Glance to Play: Scanning in the Four Game Phases
Scanning is not isolated skill training — it has its own task in every game phase. Coaches who want to integrate this topic into their game philosophy can think along the lines of the four phases:
Own possession. The constant task for all players without the ball: being available means being informed. The defensive midfielder checks behind them before offering an option; the full-back knows if the wing is free before playing a back pass. Coaching rule of thumb: Anyone wanting the ball needs a fresh picture.
Transition after winning the ball. The most valuable seconds of the game — and those where information is most valuable. The first glance after winning the ball decides whether a counter-attack will materialize: Where is the depth? Where is the free teammate? Teams can train this as a fixed rule: Ball won = first glance forward. Further reading: Training Transitions.
Opponent's possession. Defending is also perceptual work: The center-back scans back and forth between the ball and the deep striker; the defensive midfielder checks who is running into their back. While research primarily shows offensive effects — every coach knows of a goal conceded that started with an unnoticed run from behind.
Transition after losing the ball. The fastest player in counter-pressing is the one who already knew where the cover was during their own attack. Rest defense begins with a glance during the attack.
Thus, an individual habit becomes a team theme: Each phase has its scanning objectives, and the game philosophy defines them.
Homework: Scanning Without a Training Pitch
The Ødegaard story contains a practical hint: The habit was formed not only in team training but through thousands of extra repetitions. Three tasks players can do alone or with a partner:
1. Wall passing with a 360-degree view. Pass the ball against a wall, before each reception, glance over one shoulder — there, a partner holds up fingers or slips of paper with numbers are hung. After receiving: state the number. Ten minutes, twice a week.
2. Watching games with an observation assignment. During the next Bundesliga game, observe only one central midfielder for ten minutes — not the ball. Count: How often do they look around before receiving the ball? This trains the eye for one's own game more than any explanatory video.
3. The everyday anchor. Sounds trivial, but it works: consciously incorporate orientation moments into everyday life — briefly grasp the whole picture when entering a room. Perception is a general habit, and youngsters who have understood the game principle enjoy taking it outside the pitch.
More ideas for independent training: Practicing Football Alone. A note on expectations: Homework is only effective for players who understand the why — which is why the role model stories should precede the tasks, not follow them.
Digression: Pressure, Gaze, and Penalties
Jordet's second major research area shows how closely perception and psyche are linked: his penalty studies. Among other things, he investigated how shooters behave under maximum pressure — with a remarkable finding: Many players who miss show avoidance behavior beforehand. They avert their gaze, speed up their run-up, wanting to get the situation over with quickly — and in doing so, they deprive themselves of precisely the information and calm that the moment demands.
The parallel to scanning is no coincidence: In both cases, it's about opening your eyes under pressure instead of closing them. Stress narrows perception — good training expands it again. For youth football, this means: Perception training is always also pressure training. The game forms with perceptual pressure from this guide train both simultaneously — looking when it counts. The mental foundation: Mental Toughness in Football.
Training Scanning by Age Group
Bambini to F-Youth (U6-U8): No explicit scanning training — but perception-rich game environments: small-sided games with four mini-goals where valuable things happen behind the back. The 2-on-2 format of the new game forms is secret perception training: If you don't look, you miss the open goal. Context: Youth Leagues and Game Formats in Germany.
E-Youth (U9-U10): Playful visual tasks: calling out colors, recognizing hand signals, counting games ("How many fingers is the coach showing while you're dribbling?"). All embedded in the game, nothing mechanical.
D-Youth (U11-U12): The ideal entry age for systematic habit formation — Ødegaard's starting age. Rondos with pre-information, positional games with forced glances, first individual assignments ("Your job today: one glance before every reception"). Background: The Golden Learning Age.
C-Youth (U13-U14): Position-specific scanning objectives, game forms rewarding information advantage, self-observation via video — teenagers see their own scanning behavior for the first time and are regularly shocked.
B-/A-Youth (U15+): Individualization: Scanning profiles per player, video feedback with counting, linking with tactical tasks ("Your first glance after winning the ball: for depth").
Six Training Drills with Perceptual Pressure
1. Rondo with Pre-Info (from D-Youth). 5 vs 2; before the ball arrives, one of the outside players briefly raises a hand. The receiving player must state after their action who it was. Trains: Glance away from the ball while the pass is in transit. Progression: The hand-raiser is the mandatory target for the pass after next.
2. Color-Goal Dribbling (from E-Youth). Each player dribbles in the field, with four colored mini-goals outside. The coach calls out a color — finish into the correct goal. Progression: The call comes during a one-on-one duel. Trains: Orientation under motoric load.
3. Zone Reception with Opponent Pressure (from D-Youth). A player receives the ball in a marked central zone; a defender starts from the left or right with a time delay behind them. Before receiving, the player must recognize where the pressure is coming from — and take their first touch into the free side. Trains: the last glance and its translation into the first touch.
4. Positional Play with Information Bonus (from C-Youth). 6 vs 6 + 2 neutrals. Normal points for passing sequences — but an instant point for every pass into space that the passer demonstrably scanned before receiving (coach observes two pre-named players per round). Trains: Scanning as a rewarded habit rather than a command.
5. Blind-Side Game Form (from C-Youth). 7 vs 7, special rule: Goals scored after receiving the ball behind the opponent's midfield line count double. Anyone wanting to be available between the lines must constantly check where the line currently is. Trains: Scanning without ever naming it — the rule enforces it. Tactical context: Positional Play for Children.
6. Video Self-Check (from C-/B-Youth). A player is filmed for ten minutes in a game form (portrait mode is sufficient, focus on the player rather than the ball). Afterwards, they count their own glances before receptions. Trains: Self-perception — the strongest lever for behavioral change in adolescents. Practical tips: Video Analysis in Amateur Football.
A Complete Example Session (90 Minutes)
Perception focus for a C-Youth team:
Block 1 — Activation (15 Minutes). Color-goal dribbling with increasing complexity: first color call, then color call plus a math task ("Red for even numbers, Blue for odd").
Block 2 — Technique with Gaze (20 Minutes). Zone Reception with Opponent Pressure (Drill 3), three stations, rotation every six minutes. Coaching through questions: "Where did the pressure come from — and when did you know?"
Block 3 — Positional Play (25 Minutes). Positional Play with Information Bonus (Drill 4), two rounds of 10 minutes each. Between rounds, a two-minute group question: "What is the best moment to look?"
Block 4 — Game Form (25 Minutes). Blind-Side Game Form (Drill 5). Coach observes silently, noting three scenes for the conclusion.
Conclusion (5 Minutes). Briefly recount the three scenes — two successful, one learning moment. Question to the group: "How do you notice in the game that someone has looked beforehand?"
Planning fundamentals: Planning a Training Session.
Coaching: The Language of Perception
As with decision-making training: The drill builds the habit, language sharpens it. Proven formulations:
- Instead of "Shoulder check!": "Get your picture ready before the ball arrives." — The goal is information, not the gesture.
- Instead of "You need to look more": "What was behind you when you received the ball?" — The question checks if the glance registered anything.
- After strong actions: "How did you know that?" — Makes successful scanning conscious and socially valuable.
- As team vocabulary: "Fresh picture" for the last glance before receiving. If the team knows the term, it suffices as a reminder — without being a command.
And the most important coaching rule: Reward the glance even if the subsequent action fails. The player who looked, recognized, and attempted the brave pass did everything correctly — even with a misplaced pass. More on the coach's language: Coach Communication and Feedback.
Observing Scanning: Division of Tasks in the Coaching Staff
A practical problem slows down most clubs: Scanning is hard to observe while simultaneously leading a drill. A coach organizing 6 vs 6, giving coaching points, and keeping an eye on the time cannot additionally track the head movements of twelve players. The solution is division of labor.
The observation assignment for the assistant coach. While the head coach coaches the drill, the assistant coach observes exactly two pre-named players per round — solely for perception: Do they look before the ball arrives? Does their first touch incorporate the information? Two players are realistic; all twelve is an illusion. Over four weeks, the focus rotates through the entire squad. How such assignments strengthen the coaching staff: Assistant Coach in Football.
The three-stage protocol. To make observations comparable, a simple scale per player and session suffices: Stage 1 — rarely looks, receives balls blindly. Stage 2 — looks regularly, but information isn't recognizably incorporated into the action. Stage 3 — looks and utilizes: first touch, pass choice, and turning show that the picture was there. These stages are rough — but they make development visible over months and provide a basis for individual discussions.
From protocol to evaluation. Whoever regularly transfers observations into player evaluations — in Coach OS, for example, into the tactical attributes of game understanding and positioning — incidentally builds precisely the data foundation needed for development talks and transition decisions: not "they seem more attentive", but a documented curve over the season.
Thus, a research topic becomes a club standard: The drill trains, the assistant observes, the protocol documents — and the player receives a concrete, honest picture of their most invisible ability every few weeks.
Typical Mistakes in Scanning Training
The constant command. "Look around! Look around!" produces head-nodders, not perceivers. The drill must reward the glance — then the shout isn't needed.
Frequency fetish. Counting glances and celebrating records misses the point. Without information uptake, head movement is worthless — assess seeing, not turning.
Isolated perceptual gadgets. Reaction lights and flashing diodes train reactions to lights — footballers need to read teammates, opponents, and spaces. Representative game forms beat any gadget.
Too mechanical too early. Eight and nine-year-olds need perception-rich games, not glance protocols. Explicit work meaningfully begins from D-Youth.
Scanning without follow-through. Anyone who trains the glance but never the subsequent decision builds a bridge without a second bank. Perception, decision, and execution belong in the same drill.
Forgetting that it affects everyone. Scanning training only for playmakers wastes most of the effect — defenders and strikers, in particular, have the greatest untapped reserves.
How to Recognize Progress
- In training: Receptions more frequently open up to the free side. Players name concrete pictures in Q&A sessions ("I knew the defensive midfielder was behind me"). The blind-side game form produces more double goals.
- In matches: Fewer receptions into pressure. More first touches that bypass a line. Players more often turn upfield instead of playing back preventatively.
- In video: The self-check (Drill 6) provides hard numbers per player — repeated twice per season, development becomes visible.
- In evaluation: Anyone who regularly assesses perception and game understanding as attributes will see the curve over the season. Tools: Player Evaluation in Football and Tracking Player Development.
Frequently Asked Questions About Scanning Training
Five Takeaways on Scanning
And a final thought before the takeaways: Scanning is that rare training topic where research, top player biographies, and training practice all point in the same direction. It costs no training time (it integrates into existing drills), no money, and no infrastructure — only the consistency of keeping it present for months. Few investments in youth football offer a better effort-to-impact ratio.
1. The data is clear: More frequent and better scanners execute more successful passes — over 80 versus under 60 percent in Jordet's Premier League sample.
2. Scanning is a habit, not a talent — Ødegaard trained it systematically from age eight.
3. Quality and timing beat frequency: The last glance, while the ball is in transit, is the most valuable.
4. The drill rewards, the coach asks — Constant commands produce head-nodders, game rules produce perceivers.
5. Seeing without deciding is half the work — Perception, choice, and execution belong in the same drill.
All Articles on Perception and Game Intelligence
Coach OS: Perception in Your Training Plan
Scanning becomes a habit when it's incorporated into drills week after week — not when it's a one-time topic.
Coach OS plans sessions with game-like, perception-rich drills from over 800 animated exercises — tailored to age and skill level. With Sketch, you draw your own visual game forms, and in player evaluations, you track how game understanding and orientation develop. Season after season.
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