Finding Neymar: The Role of Colour in the Detection and Discrimination of Football Kits. (July 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Burnell, Liam; Thompson, Peter
• Is Part Of: Perception. Volume 50:Number 7(2021)
• Page Start: 615
• Page End: 626
• Publication Date: 2021-07
• Subjects: visual search -- football -- visual detection -- perception -- kit colour -- shirts; Perception -- Periodicals; Perception -- Periodicals; Perception; Periodicals; 153.705
• DOI: 10.1177/03010066211019370
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0301-0066

Abstract

Association Football (hereafter football) is a fast-moving sport in which rapid decisions need to be made; where are other players, are they on my team? Two experiments investigated how kit variations affect the search of teammates. Experiment 1 confirmed that discriminability is slower when playing in crossed kits (e.g., red shirts-blue shorts vs. blue shirts-red shorts), versus uniform kits (e.g., all red vs. all blue). Experiment 2 found that there is significant confusion when both teams wear the same-coloured shorts. Based on these findings, we suggest changes to the Laws of the game concerning kit colours.