Football is getting faster — and the mental demands of the game are growing with it. A virtual reality company called Be Your Best is at the forefront of an effort to train one of the sport's most overlooked skills: scanning, the rapid head movements players make before receiving the ball to build a mental picture of their surroundings.

What scanning actually means

Scanning refers to the glances a player takes in the 10 seconds before the ball arrives at their feet. Norwegian professor Geir Jordet pioneered the research, finding that elite players scan far more frequently than their peers — and that this habit is a defining characteristic of the world's best footballers.

"Those 10 seconds are critical," says Andreas Olsen, CEO of Be Your Best. "It's all about making a decision before you get the ball. When you've already made that decision, you're not going to be surprised by what happens. All the pictures have been taken, so it's just about executing."

Xavi Hernandez, the Barcelona and Spain legend, stood out as the most prolific scanner in Jordet's research. "He wasn't the fastest player on the pitch in his legs, but in his mind he was the fastest player," Olsen says. "He made his decisions before he got the ball, and then the ball was gone."

Virtual reality in the training room

Be Your Best have developed a headset that places players inside a match simulation, tracking every head movement and logging the quality of each decision. Martin Odegaard, the Arsenal captain, was among the first to use it — and reportedly requested a 120 per cent speed setting beyond the standard top-level simulation of 100 per cent.

Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni used the technology in 2023 to prepare for an emergency stint at centre-back during an injury crisis. After helping Real Madrid keep a clean sheet in a 4-0 win over Osasuna, Tchouameni shared his experience on social media. Manchester City centre-back Marc Guehi is also a regular user, and Chelsea midfielder Romeo Lavia has gone a step further by investing in the company.

Results from a nine-week programme with Germany U16 and U17 players showed scan rates improved by 28 per cent, while coaches reported better positioning in 80 per cent of participants, according to Be Your Best.

Not everyone is convinced

Dan Micciche, a former England and Arsenal youth coach currently working within Saudi Arabia's national team set-up, remains cautious about virtual reality as the primary training tool. He believes the game itself — combined with thoughtful coaching dialogue — remains the best environment for developing awareness.

"I always think the game is the best teacher, and the observation and feedback of a coach looking at the details," Micciche tells Sky Sports. "It's about spending time with a player and having a lens on individual actions."

He also raises a pointed concern: "I've seen players who just scan to please the coach. Are they actually observing their next move, or are they just thinking about how many times they move their heads?"

Be Your Best address this partly by measuring not only how often a player scans but when they scan and how well their subsequent decisions reflect what they saw.

A skill whose time has come

Scanning is not new — former England midfielder Frank Lampard recalls his father shouting "pictures" from the sideline throughout his youth career. But its importance has grown sharply as Premier League tracking data shows players covering more sprint distance per game than ever, with pressing intensity continuing to rise.

"Arsene Wenger said we've solved all the physical aspects of football," Olsen notes. "But in a world where football is becoming way more physical, we also have to pay attention to how fast the mind works. It's not enough to be the strongest and fastest on the pitch anymore."

Even defenders benefit. Micciche recalls watching Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci produce a scanning masterclass for Italy against Spain in the Euro 2021 semi-final at Wembley — barely sprinting, yet appearing to know the position of every player on the pitch at all times.

As the game accelerates, the ability to process information before the ball arrives may prove just as decisive as pace or power.