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Depth Perception - Why Shots and Passes Miss Their Targets

Depth perception is the ability of a coach, player or referee to accurately determine the distance between static and moving targets and to see in three dimension. Individuals with good depth perception can accurately judge the distance between:

• static targets when the individual is static,
• static targets when the individual is moving,
• dynamic moving targets when the individual is static, and
• dynamic moving targets when the individual is moving.

According to research studies approximately 25% of the general population has decreased depth perception. The problem with statistics in vision is it's not always clear what issue(s) are the root cause and which are simply symptoms. For example, a color deficiency may affect:

• Color Contrast between player uniforms, lines on the field and/or objects used in the game and the field background,
• Scanning and Scan Rate (correctly seeing what is happening when scanning),
• Peripheral Visual Awareness (detecting targets to the sides),
• Near Far Vision (aka Accommodation),
• Dynamic Visual Acuity (tracking of targets involving motion), and
• Depth Perception (distance of a static or moving target).

See Depth Perception Exercise links in the right column.

Depth Perception Training

Depth Perception at Home Exercise