How Cognitive Skills and Reactive Agility Shape the Modern Performance of Soccer Goalkeepers
- Filip Skala
- Nov 5
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 6
Modern soccer success depends on mental speed. Goalkeepers (GKs), in particular, face an intense mental game, processing complex visual, spatial, and tactical information in mere milliseconds. Their split-second decisions often determine match outcomes. Recent sports science research led by Filip Skala, PhD, reveals how reactive agility and cognitive attention shape goalkeeper performance, providing new directions for training and testing.
Soccer today isn’t just about sprinting fast; it’s about thinking fast and making the
right decisions in a split second. Every second, players process a flood of visual and
spatial cues: teammate movement, opponent positioning, or ball trajectory. This
cognitive processing directly shapes performance outcomes in agility- and reaction-
demanding team sports.
One of the most crucial positions in every goal-oriented sport is the goalkeeper (GK).
There are established methods for training and testing speed and agility in soccer;
however, integrating decision-making and specific hand–eye coordination demands
of this position is often neglected.
Therefore, in our research, we focused on testing the agility and cognitive
performance of adult amateur and elite youth goalkeepers. Our findings aim to
enhance training and testing methods using light-based systems such as Sportreact.
1. A Different Game for Goalkeepers
Goalkeepers (GKs) are frequently involved in decision-making situations that require
focused attention, enabling them to choose and concentrate on relevant stimuli and
respond as quickly as possible based on their reaction speed. According to Peiyong
& Inomata (2012), goalkeepers demonstrate better reaction times in predicting kick
direction compared to field players in other positions. However, their levels of
endurance, speed, and technical skills are typically lower than those of field players
(Joo & Seo, 2016).
Therefore, GK training and testing must be differentiated and specialized. Modern
training and diagnostic methods must keep pace with the rapidly evolving physical
and cognitive demands of elite-level soccer.
2. Specific Reactive Agility Tests Differentiate Elite Youth and Adult Amateur Goalkeepers
A study by Skala et al. (2024) examined differences in reactive agility between elite
youth and adult amateur goalkeepers using the novel Football Reactive Agility for
Goalkeepers (FRAG) test. The test required participants to respond to eight
randomized light stimuli (2-second delay), assessing both reaction time and fatigue
effects. Results showed that elite youth goalkeepers achieved significantly faster
reaction times than amateur adults.
Despite repeated stimuli, neither group exhibited a substantial performance decline, indicating stable reaction speed under load. The intra-session reliability of the FRAG test was moderate to good (ICC = 0.74–0.89), confirming its suitability for evaluating goalkeeper-specific agility.
These findings suggest that elite youth GKs rely on perceptual–motor skills to a
greater extent than senior amateurs. GK training should therefore incorporate light-
based reactive drills, especially those integrating movement and hand–eye
coordination tasks. From a testing perspective, the FRAG test may serve as a
reliable tool for distinguishing performance levels and monitoring fatigue resilience in
goalkeepers.
3. Goalkeepers: A Cognitive Mastery
A study by Kováč et al. (2025) we explored whether reaction speed and cognitive
attention are connected in elite youth goalkeepers. Using the Sportreact system for
reaction testing and online Stroop/Attention tasks, we found something surprising:
Reaction speed and cognitive control are both crucial, but they operate through
distinct neural pathways. Elite youth GKs showed very high attention levels.
Reaction speed to fast and slow visual cues correlated strongly (r = 0.55), yet
reaction and cognition did not directly influence each other. This means that both of
these domains must be considered separately in testing procedures.
The cognitive mastery of elite GKs was demonstrated in a study examining both
adult and youth GKs. Senior GKs exhibited better eye–muscle coordination than
their younger counterparts. Their reaction speed in specific tasks was approximately
250–260 ms, whereas youth GKs showed about 300–320 ms (Piechota & Majorczyk,
2023). However, it remains unknown which cognitive domains are the most crucial to
train and test in order to fully understand GKs’ cognition during games.
4. What This Means for Coaches and Practitioners
Together, these studies highlight a simple but powerful message: For soccer GKs,
adding hand-eye attention training (e.g., Stroop or attention-based tasks) alongside
reaction drills may significantly improve perceptual readiness. Attention and reaction
typically operate in distinct domains, but both are essential for elite GK performance.
Practical Tips Using Sportreact
x Reactive agility drills: Use setups with lateral movements to train speed
+decision-making based on visual stimuli. Include unpredictable light cues. For
example, GKs react with a lateral movement up to 3.7 meters each side based on the light stimuli in distances that replicates the shooting distacne. The engagement
of their specific dive and return to the base position is a great option.
x Cognitive warm-ups: Perform 2–3 minutes of light-based Go/No-Go drills
before training or matches to strengthen inhibitory control and focus. It is
recomanded to use random delay among cues. E.g., 100 stimuli with 4:1 Go/No-go
ratio with a random delay of 400 -800 ms.
x Dual-task challenges: Combine reactive sprints with hand–eye coordination
tasks to better simulate real-match complexity. Use a six sensors mounted to the wall
that GK can react to within the arm span. GKs can react in a standing position while
the stimuli generate without a delay - reaction to the fast generating stimuli.
FILIP SKALA
Meet Filip: a sport scientist and UEFA A licensed soccer coach dedicated to advancing agility, decision-making, and sports diagnostics in elite performance environments. He serves as a Research Assistant at Comenius University in Bratislava, where his work bridges academic research and applied coaching.
Dr. Skala earned his PhD in Sports Science from Comenius University, completing international research experiences at North-West University in South Africa and Universidad de Almería in Spain. Alongside his research, he leads youth development (U12–U15) at FC Petržalka, shaping the next generation of soccer talent through evidence-based training and performance methodologies.
References:
1) Skala, F., Kováč, K., & Zemková, E. (2024). Elite youth football goalkeepers
outperform amateur adults in reactive agility task without a significant contribution of
fatigue. (Presented at the 29th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport
Science) ResearchGate
2) Kováč, K., Holienka, M., Matušica, M., Babic, M., Skala, F., Peráčková, J. (2025).
Reaction speed and attention of elite youth soccer goalkeepers: Do cognition and
reaction influence each other? Journal of Physical Education and Sport (JPES), Vol.
25, Issue 4, Article 100. DOI: 10.7752/jpes.2025.04100.
3) Piechota, K., & Majorczyk, E. (2023). Decision-Making Time and Neuromuscular Coordination in Youth and Senior Soccer Goalkeepers. Sensors (Basel), 23(9): 4483. DOI: 10.3390/s23094483. 4) Peiyong, Z., & Inomata, K. (2012). Cognitive strategies for goalkeepers responding to soccer penalty kicks. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 115(3), 969–983. DOI:
10.2466/30.22.23.PMS.115.6.969-983
5) Joo, C. H., & Seo, D. I. (2016). Analysis of physical fitness and technical skills of
youth soccer players according to playing position. Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation, 12(6), 548–552. DOI: 10.12965/jer.1632810.405
