the Edge trainer

and soccer
performance

Strengthening the Core Six Visual Skills provides the athlete with the foundational visual input needed to make critical decisions and motor responses at the highest level.

vision training

for soccer players

Soccer requires players to fire on all cylinders, making smart, fast decisions and constantly scanning the field to make a play. The best midfielders in the world are often described as being excellent at “reading the game.”

the core six

visual skills

Understanding an athlete’s proficiency in the six core visual skills allows players, coaches, and scouts to identify and correct visual weaknesses and enhance the athlete’s performance on the field.

reaction time

ball tracking

goalie skills

spatial relations

Convergence

Locate a quick moving ball off a pass or shot. Impacts general ball control (dribbling and passing).

Divergence

Scan the field to locate a potential pass. Judge the speed and trajectory of defensive players across the field.

Depth

Impacts a keeper’s judgment on coming out for a save and enables players to successfully tackle and navigate tight spaces.

Alignment

Increases precision in movements and probability of hitting intended target (i.e. a pass or shot on goal).

recognition

Recognize formations, set pieces, and situations. Enhances spatial and positional awareness.

TRACKING

Anticipate the flight of the ball and success-rate of trapping. Locate incoming shot through traffic. Enhances general monitoring of developing play.

taking a look

at positions

Depending on the position an athlete plays in, the visual skills required for optimal performance vary. Midfielders, for example, tend to have excellent vision, which requires great divergence skills to scan the field and find an open teammate or passing lane. Forwards, who do less passing during an attacking move or build-up, tend to have quicker anticipation and reaction speeds compared to midfielders, simply due to the nature of their position.

forward

A forward is typically judged on their goal-scoring abilities. Those who have the physical and technical skills, but also the visual capabilities to hit the target precisely where they want to, are among the best in the world. Without proper visual alignment, a forward might not hit their intended shot on goal, let alone the back of the net. Forwards who are considered ‘poachers’ near the net have a unique ability to always be in the right place at the right time and score. This involves excellent recognition and tracking skills to understand a developing play and anticipate where the ball is going, either off a deflection or save, or off a set piece.

midfielder

World-class midfielders may possess elite convergence, divergence and recognition abilities. Soccer matches are often won by the dominance of a midfielder, and players who have strong convergence skills, can possess and maintain control of the ball throughout the course of a match. Excellent divergence skills allow the best midfielders to scan and analyze the field to find and make their next pass, often through a narrow window. Having great spatial and positional awareness to feel an oncoming defender and maintain possession requires superb recognition skills. Midfielders are also excellent at reading the game and recognizing offensive and defensive development based on their ability to see and process visual targets.

defender

Defenders have a special ability to constantly track the ball, all while monitoring the opposing team’s offensive players to ensure no one is running in behind them. Often defenders will misjudge a dribbling opponent or the ball’s distance, speed, or direction and will get beat by the player or have to commit a foul as a result. Having strong depth perception can aid a defender’s ability to judge the ball on the field and, if required, successfully make a tackle without fouling. Recognition and tracking play a vital role as a defender, and being able to read and anticipate an opponent’s developing attack can help to secure a clean sheet. Since the ball spends a good amount of time in the air throughout the course of a match, it is also important for defenders to be able to adequately see and track the ball in the air in order to know when to jump and head the ball.

goalkeeper

Goalkeepers are constantly under fire, especially late into a match when the opposing team is pressing the attack in an attempt to score. Keepers are similar to defenders, in that having excellent recognition and tracking skills are imperative, but possessing strong convergence ability will further enhance their dominance between the posts and help keep a clean sheet. Keepers who are able to fully track and locate a quick moving ball – from the moment it leaves an opponent’s head or foot – increases the likelihood of getting into position to make a save. Goalkeeper coaches always harp on the ‘second save’ skill that is required of keepers to quickly get up and react after making the initial save. Anticipating where the ball might go either on a corner kick, free kick, or even a penalty, can help the keeper quickly get into position and even come out to make a save or punch the ball away out of the box.

breaking down

the edge score

The Edge Score is a comprehensive score given to each athlete based on their most recent evaluation. The score takes all visual skills into account – including convergence, divergence, depth perception, alignment, recognition and tracking. Through analysis of an athlete’s Edge Score as well as their individual scores, we identify areas of weakness and develop an appropriate training program.

convergence

Convergence is the ability to focus on objects within close proximity and judge their movement and impact. Convergence may impact a player in the following ways:

Ability to locate a quick moving ball, especially goalkeepers with incoming shots
Track and successfully connect on volleys and one-timers
General ball control (dribbling and passing)

DIVERGENCE

Divergence is the ability to locate objects in the distance, impact an athlete’s ability to anticipate and react. Divergence may impact a player in the following ways:

Ability to receive long passes or crosses and quickly find open teammates
Ability to quickly locate opponents
Tracking of ball following saves and deflections

DEPTH PERCEPTION

Depth perception uses both eyes to locate objects in space to judge their distance, speed, and direction. Depth perception may impact a player in the following ways:

Ability to complete a successful tackle
Likelihood of hitting a shot on target from outside the box
Keeper’s judgement on coming out for a save

ALIGNMENT

Proper alignment creates no difference between the perceived location and actual location of an object. Alignment may impact a player in the following ways:

Reaction time as other skill sets are required to compensate
Overall timing and success-rate in making and receiving passes
Crispness and decisiveness of movements

RECOGNITION

Recognition is the ability to observe, process and recall a series of visual targets, and respond properly. Recognition may impact a player in the following ways:

Ability to recognize offensive and defensive development throughout the field
Reacting properly to shots on goal
Spatial and positional awareness (ex. staying onside)

TRACKING

Tracking allows you to process and follow an object while always monitoring all aspects of the game. Tracking may impact a player in the following ways:

Success-rate of trapping a ball
Reaction time to deflected shots
Monitor developing play

Meet The

Edge Trainer

The Edge Trainer from Vizual Edge delivers the most advanced vision training available. Backed by 30 years of research and development, the Edge Trainer’s proven system improves reaction time, positional and spatial awareness, and recognition.

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