Fixation control and three-point field goal percentage in female collegiate basketball players: an eye-tracking study

This study investigated the visual attention characteristics of female collegiate basketball players during three-point shooting and their relationship with field goal percentage. Sixty participants, categorized as expert, general, or novice players, performed three-point shots from left 45°, 90°, and right 45° positions while wearing Tobii Glasses 3 eye-tracking equipment. The number of fixations and fixation duration on the hoop, backboard, and net were recorded. Field goal percentage was assessed in a separate session (non-synchronized with eye-tracking). Data were analyzed using mixed-design ANOVA and Pearson correlations. Results revealed that expert players demonstrated significantly fewer fixations and shorter total fixation durations than general and novice players (p < 0.001). Experts allocated a greater amount of attention (absolute number of fixations and fixation duration) towards the hoop relative to other groups. Significant negative correlations were observed between field goal percentage and fixations on non-critical areas (backboard, net) within each group (r = -0.457 to -0.816, q < 0.05, FDR-corrected). Conversely, fixation duration on the hoop positively correlated with field goal percentage (r = 0.646 to 0.842, q < 0.001, FDR-corrected). The right 45° position imposed higher visual demands. These associations likely reflect the shared influence of skill level rather than a direct causal link from gaze to performance. Findings suggest that superior shooting performance is associated with more efficient visual-search strategies and stable fixation on the hoop. These results suggest that training programs aimed at optimizing attention allocation may be worth investigating, though causal conclusions require experimental designs.