Introduction Learning tactics from a static diagram has been shown to increase learning among basketball players, as it is the preferred tool for coaches to convey tactical information (Khacharem et al., 2013). In addition to the verbal presentation, coaches make pointing gestures to direct players` attention to the key elements of paly and to optimize teaching of tactical combination. The aim of this study was to examined the effect coaches` of pointing gestures on the memorization of tactical scenes and whether this effect can be modulated by player experience. Method Ninety-six participants (48 expert basketball players and 48 novices) took part in the experiment based on predetermined criteria. They were instructed to watch one of two experimental conditions, in which the coach either described the development of an offensive play system (no-gesture, No-G), or described the same play system while making pointing gestures (with-gesture, W-G). After visualisation, participants were instructed to rate their mental effort and reconstruct the game elements on a sheet of paper. Total fixation duration on the diagrams of play was measured using eye tracking. Results The results showed that novice players in the W-G condition achieved higher recall scores, lower investment of mental effort and more fixation time on the diagrams of play than novices in the N-G condition. However, expert players achieved the same recall scores, same investment of mental effort and the same fixation time on the diagrams of play in both experimental condition. Discussion The findings revealed that for novice players, incorporating pointing gestures into speech when presenting game information is an effective technique to direct their attention to the game elements mentioned in the speech and improve their
© Copyright 2023 28th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science, 4-7 July 2023, Paris, France. Veröffentlicht von European College of Sport Science. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.