Evaluating Cognitive Training System for Football Players

Objective: In this study we have tested the transferability of cognitive skills acquired on a computerized training system to on-field performance of soccer players. Specifically, we tested whether training with the cognitive training system IntelliGym improves footballers’ on-field game intelligence.

Design: Two elite football academies (Hamburger SV and DSC Arminia Bielefeld) participated in the research. The study compared the performance of an experimental group (IntelliGym-trained players) and a control-task group (players performing a different computerized task) before and after cognitive intervention. Players were evaluated using the Game Test Situation "Identifying gaps" metrics system, an objective performance analysis, developed by the German Sport University (Memmert, 2010).

Results: The study found that players who trained with IntelliGym significantly improved their on-field decision-making performance more than players in the control-task group.