Andy Devaney
If you’ve ever watched Erling Haaland play and wondered why defenders look like they’re chasing a bus that’s already left the station, a fresh slice of sports science might help. Erling Haaland’s stats are now being framed through a less glamorous but brutally effective habit: “scanning” — the constant, rapid checking of what’s around you before the ball arrives — and research suggests Haaland does it up to 50% more than other Premier League strikers.
This isn’t football’s latest fad keyword, either. “Scanning” has become catnip for coaches, analysts and the growing tribe of fans who enjoy a good tactical rabbit hole. The idea is simple: the best players don’t just see the game — they read it early, like they’ve skipped to the last page while everyone else is still sounding out the first chapter.
What is scanning, and why does it matter?
Scanning is essentially a player’s habit of gathering information before they receive the ball — who’s pressing, where the space is, which run is on, and what danger is forming behind the shoulder. Professor Geir Jordet, co-founder of football technology company Be Your Best, has been studying exactly that behaviour — and his work points to Haaland living in a different postcode of awareness.
The average Premier League forward scans at around 0.28 times per second. That already sounds like plenty until you learn that, in recorded matches, Haaland has hit 0.50 scans per second — close to double what many opposing forwards manage, and even higher than some midfielders who traditionally act as the game’s human radar dishes.
In other words: before the ball even turns up, he’s already collected the clues.
The Haaland edge isn’t just goals — it’s timing, fakes and explosions
A striker’s job description may still read “score goals,” but Haaland’s separation from defenders is increasingly explained by the moments that happen before the finish. Alongside that heightened scanning rate, video analysis highlights his movement patterns: sharp accelerations, sudden fakes, and those explosive bursts of pace that make a centre-back’s turning circle feel like a rusty shopping trolley.
Put it all together and it becomes a nasty cocktail for defenders. Scanning helps him react first; the movement helps him arrive first; and once he’s on the ball, his balance and power help him stay there. The result is the kind of inevitability that makes goalkeepers consider new hobbies.
It also reframes the conversation around Erling Haaland Stats: not just what he produces, but how he consistently gets himself into the right place at the right time — earlier than everyone else.
Be Your Best and the rise of VR game intelligence training
Be Your Best (BYB) is an Oslo-based football technology company using virtual reality and cognitive science to train what it calls “Game Intelligence” — scanning habits, decision-making speed, and situational awareness. The company believes Haaland’s threat is rooted not only in output, but in intelligence, timing and control — and insists these are skills that can be trained through their platform.
The company says Haaland even used Be Your Best technology in his formative years, as he progressed toward becoming one of the game’s most feared strikers.
Proof beyond the headlines: U17 players improved scanning by 29%
It’s one thing to talk about awareness like it’s a mystical gift. It’s another to measure change. Be Your Best points to adoption across clubs, teams and individual players, and cites a study with the German U17 National team where players improved scan rate by 29% after nine weeks of using the program.
That matters because scanning isn’t just “looking around.” It’s creating better options, faster — and that’s where modern football is heading at full throttle.
How BYB Training works (and what’s next with BYB360)
BYB Training runs on Meta Quest VR headsets, placing players inside immersive match scenarios designed to sharpen scanning and speed up decisions. The company is also developing BYB360, an analysis tool that lets players study performance and tactical setups from a first-person perspective, with position-specific VR training focused on the precise movements, decisions and scanning habits required for different roles.
Be Your Best positions these products as among the most realistic VR football training tools currently available — a sign that “mental reps” are becoming as prized as the physical ones.
What the CEO says
Andreas Olsen, Be Your Best’s CEO, said: “The difference between a good player and a great player isn’t lack of talent but lack of Game Intelligence. At Be Your Best, we’ve seen firsthand how young athletes’ awareness of the pitch and increased scanning can transform their abilities and elevate their game.
“Studies have shown players who scan at a high rate are 2x more likely to make a successful forward pass, and players in the Premier League and other top divisions scan more than those at lower levels. The great news is that scanning is a skill that can be taught at any age.
“BYB Training cultivates a safe and engaging environment for players to improve critical mental skills and due to the platform’s cognitive, not physical nature, it’s a valuable resource during injury rehabilitation as well. Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard utilised it during a period of injury to maintain and enhance his mental sharpness. His scanning skills were so advanced that he maxed out the simulator’s hardest setting and we had to develop a new level.
“But it’s not just about stars like Ødegaard, this skillset is invaluable for any player, at any stage of their career, and Be Your Best is dedicated to helping players at any level from grassroots to professional.”
What this means for coaches, parents, and players chasing marginal gains
The most interesting part of this story isn’t that Haaland scans more — it’s what it implies. If scanning is trainable, then “game intelligence” stops being a talent-only conversation and becomes a development plan. That’s gold dust for academies, coaches at every level, and players returning from injury who need to keep the brain sharp while the body catches up.
It also keeps the Erling Haaland conversation honest: the numbers that show up on highlight reels often start as invisible habits — the quick checks, the early reads, the half-second head start that becomes a full yard of separation.
For more on Be Your Best’s products, visit https://www.beyourbest.com/.
FAQ
What is “scanning” in football?
Scanning is the repeated checking of surroundings before receiving the ball, improving awareness and decision-making speed.
How often does Erling Haaland scan compared to other forwards?
Research cited here suggests Haaland can scan up to 50% more than other Premier League strikers and has reached 0.50 scans/sec in recorded matches.
Can scanning be trained?
Be Your Best argues yes, using VR-based cognitive training; it cites a German U17 study showing a 29% scan-rate improvement after nine weeks.
What is BYB Training?
A VR training program on Meta Quest headsets that places players in match scenarios to improve scanning and decisions.
