Strapping on the headset instantly transports me from a bland conference room in central London to the virtual centre circle of a simulated football match. I have chosen to play as a holding midfielder, clutching a controller in each hand with my thumbs poised over the pass button.
After a brief countdown, the simulation kicks off and a teammate begins a build‑up play. My job is to receive the ball, assess the situation, and select the optimal pass, while every tilt of my head and each subsequent decision is recorded and examined by the system.
The device, developed by the tech firm Be Your Best, focuses on honing a skill known as "scanning" – the rapid, almost subconscious glances a player makes to the left and right, gathering visual information about the surrounding field. Those fleeting looks help a player anticipate pressure, spot open spaces and decide where to move the ball before they even receive it. My first trial runs at 80 % of game speed, giving me a chance to get comfortable. I move deliberately, even when a virtual defender closes in, and I’m rewarded with a notification that I have executed a "critical scan" as I thread a pass through the opposition’s lines.
The positive feedback feels satisfying and reinforces the idea that scanning can be measured and rewarded. When the speed dial is cranked up to 100 % – the pace of a top‑level professional match – the experience becomes a stark reality check. I quickly realise that the mental processing required to scan, interpret and act must match the physical intensity of the game. The headset even offers a 120 % setting, a feature added after Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard tried the system for the first time and asked for an extra challenge.
Ødegaard, celebrated for his extraordinary vision and lightning‑quick decision‑making, is the type of player that fascinated Andreas Olsen, the CEO of Be Your Best, back when Olsen was a youth player at Viking FK in Norway. Olsen recalls, "It was mind‑blowing to see some players who seemed to have eyes in the back of their heads. I didn’t have the words to describe it, only a yearning to understand where the opponent’s pressure was coming from and where the next pass should go." The concept of scanning is not new. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Norwegian sports scientist Professor Geir Jordet began systematically studying what he called the "10‑second window" – the period before a player receives the ball.
Jordet’s research showed that elite athletes consistently displayed higher scan rates during those crucial seconds, suggesting that the ability to capture visual information quickly is a hallmark of the very best. Olsen explains, "Those ten seconds are critical. If you’ve already decided what you’re going to do before the ball arrives, you won’t be surprised. All the pictures are taken in your head, and then you simply execute." One of the standout figures in Jordet’s data was Barcelona and Spain legend Xavi Hernández.
While Xavi may not have been the fastest runner, Olsen notes, "In his mind he was the fastest player. He made decisions before the ball touched his feet, so the ball seemed to arrive already in the right place. He would turn left because he knew pressure was coming from the right, and he always covered the ball with his back to the opponent because he could see where they were." Former England and Arsenal youth coach Dan Micciche, now working with Saudi Arabia’s national team setup, offers a defensive perspective. He recalls watching Italy’s centre‑backs Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci during the Euro 2021 semi‑final against Spain.
"They weren’t sprinting; they were jogging, scanning, and moving with calm certainty. It was as if they knew where every player on the pitch was," Micciche says.
This level of situational awareness, he argues, is what separates a good defender from a great one. The modern game is becoming faster and more physically demanding.
Premier League tracking data reveals that players now cover significantly more sprint distance per match than they did just a few years ago, a trend driven by higher pressing intensity. Former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger once remarked that the sport had solved its physical challenges – we know how to get faster and stronger – but Olsen counters, "In a world where football is increasingly physical, we must also focus on how fast the mind works. Strength and speed alone are no longer enough." There is a growing consensus that scanning and overall situational awareness can be trained, though some remain skeptical about the role of virtual reality.
Micciche emphasizes the timeless value of the coach’s eye: "The game is the best teacher. Good, open‑ended questions from a coach – what did you see?
why didn’t you turn? where was the space? – are vital. We often rush to give answers, but true development comes from thoughtful dialogue and reflection." Be Your Best has tried to address those concerns by embedding analytics that track not just how often a player scans, but also the timing and quality of each scan, and how well the subsequent decision aligns with the optimal option.
In a nine‑week pilot with Germany’s U16 and U17 squads, Olsen reports a 28 % increase in scan rates and that coaches observed improved positioning in 80 % of the participants. Individual success stories are also highlighted.
Manchester City defender Marc Guehi and Chelsea midfielder Romeo Lavia have both adopted the headset, while Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouaméni used it in 2023 to prepare for an emergency stint at centre‑back during an injury crisis. After helping his side keep a clean sheet in a 4‑0 victory over Osasuna, Tchouaméni posted about the experience on social media, praising the technology’s ability to accelerate learning.
From my own perspective, the headset’s appeal is clear. Even after a session, I leave aware that my scanning still needs work – Ødegaard’s 120 % setting will have to wait for another day – but I find myself instinctively checking my shoulders as I walk to the station, a small habit that signals the training is taking root. In summary, as football continues to evolve into a faster, more data‑driven sport, the mental skill of scanning – once a hidden talent of a few gifted individuals – is now being quantified, taught, and refined through cutting‑edge technology. The hope is that, one day, every player will possess the same visual acuity and decision‑making speed that once set legends like Xavi, Ødegaard and the Italian defensive duo apart.
Play Super 6 for a chance to win £1m! Enter for free.