Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Publication Date

5-17-2024

Journal

Vision

Abstract

The ability to make on-field, split-second decisions is critical for National Football League (NFL) game officials. Multiple principles in visual function are critical for accuracy and precision of these play calls, including foveation time and unobstructed line of sight, static visual acuity, dynamic visual acuity, vestibulo-ocular reflex, and sufficient visual field. Prior research has shown that a standardized curriculum in these neuro-ophthalmic principles have demonstrated validity and self-rated improvements in understanding, confidence, and likelihood of future utilization by NFL game officials to maximize visual performance during officiating. Virtual reality technology may also be able to help optimize understandings of specific neuro-ophthalmic principles and simulate real-life gameplay. Personal communication between authors and NFL officials and leadership have indicated that there is high interest in 3D virtual on-field training for NFL officiating. In this manuscript, we review the current and past research in this space regarding a neuro-ophthalmic curriculum for NFL officials. We then provide an overview our current visualization engineering process in taking real-life NFL gameplay 2D data and creating 3D environments for virtual reality gameplay training for football officials to practice plays that highlight neuro-ophthalmic principles. We then review in-depth the physiology behind these principles and discuss strategies to implement these principles into virtual reality for football officiating.

Keywords

National Football League, dynamic visual acuity, visualization engineering, virtual reality, vestibulo-ocular reflex, visual field

DOI

10.3390/vision8020035

PMID

38804356

PMCID

PMC11130928

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

5-17-2024

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Published Open-Access

yes

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