A LITERATURE REVIEW INTO SPORTs VISION TRAINING WITH A FOCUS ON CONCUSSION RECOVERIES
- Sep 18, 2025
- 3 min read
By: James O'Connor
ABSTRACT
This literature review explores the contemporary thinking and literature associated
with vision training within the professional football industry. Since the beginning
of the English Premier League (EPL), the highest tier football in the UK, elite
professional football has seen a significant rise in commercialization; leading to
increased competition, Legros (2022). This has necessitated that sporting
organizations find an edge and increase performance through marginal gains,
Gehlen (2022). Marginal gains can lead to increased performance leading to a
higher team position in the standings, the financial reward can amount to
significant amounts of money. In the EPL the difference between league position is
staggering, amounting to millions of pounds, according to Miller (2022).
Sports vision training can potentially enhance performance and create the marginal
gain so many teams are looking for. This literature review will explore and
critically analyze the concepts associated with sports vision training. According to
Nishizawa, (1978), sports vision training’s impact on baseball players was
significantly positive. Batting averages increased by.027 compared to those who
had not undertaken sports vision training. In their first year after training the
Royals lead the American league in batting and had 4 of the top 10 hitters in the
league: with one player raising his batting average of .224 to .275 over three
successive seasons. Barton et al., (1981) discuss and explore the use, concepts and
possibilities that could be associated with sports vision training while Zieman et
al., (1993) explore the trends and identify possibilities around expansion in sports
training. This shows the sporting innovations beginning to take hold as this
research showed improvement in both individual and team results.
Another concept associated with sports vision training and testing is the ability to
enhance recovery from concussion and head injuries by utilizing neuro-optometric
therapy and cognitive training as supported by Broglio et al., (2015). This concept
has played a key role in the selection of writing this literature and is in essence the
rationale behind the review.
INTRODUCTION- RATIONALE
Concussion protocols have become more prevalent in professional football due to
the increasing links to brain damage from heading the football. According to
Spiotta et al., (2012) intentional heading of the football could be a cause of chronic
traumatic encephalopathy; a disease in which the functioning of the brain is
affected by some agent or condition. However, this cannot be determined until the
relationship between the head impact data is collected and then correlated with
post competition clinical assessment. Currently, there is not sufficient evidence to
warrant the need for head gear while competing. Naunheim et al., (2003) supports
this idea that current head gear can offer little ability to attenuate impact during
simulated soccer heading however they do acknowledge that head gear can
decrease the speed of which the individual heads the ball on impact. Players
challenging for the football in aerial duels are more susceptible to incurring head
impact injuries and in some cases the injury can be a concussion. Shah et al.,
(2020) provided research from 1997 to 2019 which showed soccer as being the
third most team sport to report concussions with football showing the highest
volume.
According to Lynall et al., (2015) acute lower extremity injury rates increase after
concussions suggesting that professional football teams need to better understand
the nuances around concussion injuries and create policies that enhance recovery
times associated with concussions. Sports vision training is used by practitioners to
both assess and assist in dealing with such situations and we will review the
nuances that surround the varying assessments. There’s a need for additional
research into this area and this review will summarize the current work in this field.
