Panzo Nicholas, Ong Joshua, Memon Hamza, Carrabba Nicole V, Waisberg Ethan, Zaman Nasif, Lee Virginia A, Sarker Prithul, Vogt Ashtyn Z, Laylani Noor, Tavakkoli Alireza, Lee Andrew G
Texas A&M School of Medicine, Bryan, TX, USA.
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Eye (Lond). 2025 Feb;39(3):478-483. doi: 10.1038/s41433-024-03533-z. Epub 2024 Dec 6.
Visual processing involves numerous neuro-ophthalmic pathways that enable humans to perceive and interact with the world. These visual pathways can negatively impact visual perception and decision-making. The Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex (VOR) is a compensatory mechanism that stabilizes gaze on a target during head movement, such as running or turning. However, inadequate VOR stabilization can lead to retinal slip, reducing visual acuity. In the National Football League (NFL), officials require exceptional visual training and performance. NFL officiating utilize rapid visual processing, strategic movements, and precise judgement to make accurate penalty calls in real-time. Retinal slip can adversely affect play calling and penalty assessment by NFL officials. Despite these challenges, NFL officials achieve high precision and accuracy in up to 98.9% of plays. To maintain such high standards, the NFL has implemented a standardized curriculum to mitigate the effects of VOR and retinal slip. This manuscript outlines the basics of VOR function and explores countermeasures to minimize retinal slip in NFL officiating. We believe that these scientific endeavours can improve both penalty assessment accuracy and precision. The use of these general principles might also be potentially applicable to other sports.
视觉处理涉及众多神经眼科通路，这些通路使人类能够感知世界并与世界互动。这些视觉通路可能会对视觉感知和决策产生负面影响。前庭眼反射（VOR）是一种补偿机制，可在头部运动（如跑步或转身）期间稳定对目标的注视。然而，VOR稳定不足会导致视网膜滑动，降低视力。在美国国家橄榄球联盟（NFL）中，官员需要具备出色的视觉训练和表现。NFL裁判利用快速的视觉处理、策略性动作和精确的判断来实时做出准确的判罚。视网膜滑动会对NFL官员的判罚和处罚评估产生不利影响。尽管存在这些挑战，NFL官员在高达98.9%的判罚中实现了高精度和准确性。为了维持如此高的标准，NFL实施了标准化课程，以减轻VOR和视网膜滑动的影响。本手稿概述了VOR功能的基础知识，并探讨了在NFL裁判中尽量减少视网膜滑动的对策。我们相信，这些科学努力可以提高处罚评估的准确性和精确性。这些一般原则的应用也可能潜在地适用于其他运动。
