A ‘reality’ check: comparing virtual reality and life-size video in football

Dowsett, R ORCID: 0000-0003-2841-2392, Greenhough, B, Wilkins, L, Jackson, RC, Causer, J ORCID: 0000-0002-8939-8769, Barnett, C, Magistro, D and Kinrade, N (2026) A ‘reality’ check: comparing virtual reality and life-size video in football. Virtual Reality. ISSN 1359-4338

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Abstract

Recent advancements in virtual reality (VR) have led researchers to question whether VR could offer a superior medium for perceptual-cognitive training in sport, above and beyond traditional representative task training such as video simulations. To address this question, 30 amateur and semi-professional footballers completed 96 trials of a 1-vs-1 drill, in both VR and life-size video conditions. The drill involved intercepting an oncoming attacker, whereby there were four possible outcomes: true right, true left, fake right, fake left. Participants responded significantly faster and reported significantly greater presence, face validity, enjoyment, and desire to repeat the session in the VR condition compared to the life-size video condition. There was no significant difference in response accuracy or susceptibility to deception between conditions. An additional thematic analysis of a coach’s evaluations of participant responses to VR and video stimuli was conducted, representing a novel approach to practitioner-informed extended reality (XR) validation in sport. The coach perceived responses in the VR condition as more representative of live ‘on-field’ duels and perceived that the life-size video condition may have allowed participants to better detect opponent cues and respond in a more controlled manner. These practitioner-informed observations are exploratory and reflect the perceptions of one coach, rather than independently established differences between conditions. Overall, these results demonstrate the positive role that VR may offer in perceptual-cognitive training and the importance of on-going evaluation as VR technology develops at pace.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	46 Information and Computing Sciences; 4608 Human-Centred Computing; Clinical Research; Networking and Information Technology R&D (NITRD); Clinical Trials and Supportive Activities; 0801 Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing; 0909 Geomatic Engineering; 1702 Cognitive Sciences; Human Factors; 4607 Graphics, augmented reality and games
Subjects:	Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA76 Computer software G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure > GV561 Sports > GV711 Coaching G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure > GV561 Sports
Divisions:	Sport and Exercise Sciences
Publisher:	Springer
Date of acceptance:	28 September 2026
Date of first compliant Open Access:	2 November 2026
Date Deposited:	02 Nov 2026 13:46
Last Modified:	02 Nov 2026 13:46
DOI or ID number:	10.1007/s10055-026-01518-9
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/29789

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