Goalies see the world differently than the rest of us, a new study suggests. Or more to the point, they process the world differently. The study in Current Biology finds that goalkeepers—in this case, soccer goalies, though the principle would apply to other sports—are unusually adept at taking in near-simultaneous sights and sounds and figuring out how to respond in a flash. In the study, researchers in Ireland exposed 60 volunteers (an even mix of professional goalies, outfielders, and non-players) to various combinations of light flashes and audible beeps, reports IFL Science. The goalies in the group were significantly better at figuring out how many flashes of light they were shown than the other two groups, who seemed to get thrown off by the beeps.
"While many football (soccer) players and fans worldwide will be familiar with the idea that goalkeepers are just 'different' from the rest of us, this study may actually be the first time that we have proven scientific evidence to back up this claim," says lead investigator David McGovern of Dublin City University in a statement. In a game, goalies respond not only to the visual cues from the shooter but to the sound of the ball coming off the shooter's foot, all in an instant. They also must screen out crowd noises at the same time.
"Unlike other football players, goalkeepers are required to make thousands of very fast decisions based on limited or incomplete sensory information," Michael Quinn, a former goalie in the Irish Premiership who now studies behavioral science at University College Dublin, tells the Guardian. One thing the researchers aren't sure about is whether goalies are made or born—that is, whether such traits can be taught or whether a natural ability might lead someone to become a goalie. (More discoveries stories.)
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