Training system for baseball home-plate umpire to improve accuracy in perceiving pitched ball location and strike zone

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K17842
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 59020:Sports sciences-related
• Research Institution: Fukuoka Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Higuchi Takatoshi 福岡工業大学, その他部局等, 准教授 (60726826)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: スポーツ / 審判 / 視線

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Umpires in sports are required accurate judgment based on visual information collected by seeing players and objects moving at high speed. In this study, purpose was to develop a training program for umpires by clarifying the difference between professional and non-professional umpires performance in strike / ball call. As a result, compared to the non-professional umpires, the professional umpires were more accurate in strike / ball call. This research will work on data analysis in their visual tracking motion and statistical testing. Then, findings will be submitted to research journals.

Free Research Field

スポーツ科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で明らかにした優れた球審の視認動作の特徴は、審判員の養成と技能向上に役立つ知見であり、多くの子どもから大人までが参加する野球競技の発展に貢献するものである。さらに、科学的アプローチが審判員の技能向上に有効であることを示すことで、これからのスポーツ科学の可能性を拡げ、新たな研究対象として審判員を加える意義と必要性を示すための足掛かりとして波及効果が期待できる。