Carl Douglas
Academy Director
Leicester Tigers
Expertise
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Superior recall and recognition of key
patterns
Faster detection and recognition of
where the ball is
More effective visual search
More effective anticipation (pre–event)
Perceptual processes remain stable
under pressure
Scanning.
It is a skill
 You can practice it.
 Some have it naturally
 It collapses under pressure.
 It allows to read the game.
 Slow kids have more of it.

Scanning
. “Players need to be capable of viewing the
defence while in possession of the ball,
before reception (while the ball is in a
team-mates hand), immediately prior to
reception, and while in support of a teammate, in possession.”
Sefarty and Entin 1998
Decision Web
1st phase
(Adapted from Royce and Collins, 1995)
Pre-scan &
Communicate
In phase
Check Scan
Receive Ball
Deliver
Scan in
Possession
Check Scan
Coherence
It should appeal in a number of ways.
provides a means of developing a player’s
ability to change his playing style, so as to
more accurately and effectively fit a team’s
requirements,
 develops the players ability to anticipate
and predict team-mates and the
opposition,
 therefore offers a system to optimise the
contribution of players to a given team.

Mortimer and Collins Sept 2000
Coherence
enables criterion based player
assessment and development within a
team context,
 the development of shared mentalmodels enhances talent identification
and development processes,
 together with an objective means to
examine coaching approaches.

Mortimer and Collins Sept 2000
Scanning
1. Will increase perception and prediction.
2. Will increase the one touch success rate.
3. Will increase completed pass rate.
4. Is the single largest skill of team sports.
Patrick Mortimer