Does training with visual occlusion improve technical skills in Under-14 football players?

Background: Visual occlusion reduces players’ field of vision and directly affects their physical, technical and positional performance. Therefore, it is important to understand how visual perception is affected, and whether training with visual occlusion leads to an improvement in performance. Objective: This study aimed to examine whether training with visual occlusion could improve technical skills in young football players. Methods: Thirty male Under-14 amateur football players were randomly assigned to a visual occlusion group (OCC; n = 15) and a control group (CON; n = 15). In addition to the conventional training program, the OCC performed visual occlusion training sessions using spatial occlusion goggles that removed the sight of the participants’ limbs and lower body. The CON performed only the conventional training program. The study consisted of a pre-test, two months of training intervention and a post-test. Contextualised technical skills were tested using the Loughborough Soccer Passing Test. Results: Both OCC (p = .21) and CON (p = .43) did not change Trial performance. However, the OCC experienced small-to-moderate improvements in Penalty time (p = .002; d = 0.51, 95% CI [0.10, 0.70]) and Global performance (p = .005, d = 0.44, 95% CI [0.05, 0.66]). The CON did not show changes in Penalty time (p = .61) and Global performance (p = .89) variables. A significant moment × group interaction was found in Penalty time (p = .016, ηp 2 = .19, 95% CI [.03, .48]) and Global performance (p = .011, ηp 2 = .21, 95% CI [.01, .45]). Conclusions: The OCC has shown a significant reduction in the amount of time required to complete the trial and the Penalty time. These results suggest that incorporating visual occlusion as a paradigm into a training program for football players may positively impact their technical skills.