Examining the time course of attention in a soccer kick using a dual task paradigm

A dual-task paradigm was implemented using a repeated measures design to determine the time course of attention demands during performance of a soccer penalty kick. Experienced soccer players (N=15) were asked to perform a 12-yard soccer-style penalty kick. As part of the dual task paradigm, participants were instructed to respond to an audible cue that was administered during one of three probe positions (PP) during the penalty kick. Probe position 1 (PP1) was operationalized as the participant's second to last step (taken with the non-kicking foot), probe position 2 (PP2) was the next to last step (taken with the kicking foot), and probe position 3 (PP3) was the last step (taken with the non-kicking, or "plant foot") just prior to the kicking foot making contact with the ball. Kicks were taken with both the dominant foot (DF) and the non-dominant foot (NDF). It was hypothesized that reaction time to the audible cue (RT) would be slowest at the beginning and end of the performance of the motor skill in both the DF and NDF situations and that RT would be slower when kicking with the NDF, but that the kicking foot would not affect the pattern of attentional demands. Results indicated that RT was slowest at PP1 for both the DF and the NDF and that RT was significantly slower at PP1 for the DF than for the NDF. This suggests that soccer players engage in more complex planning during the preparatory phases when executing a kick with their dominant foot. Future research should be designed to further our understanding of foot dominance with regard to kicking and to explore attentional demands of striking tasks.