ScholarOne - The Relationships among Impulsivity, Vigilance and False
Start Penalties for Offensive Linemen in the National Football League
(NFL)
Abstract
Each year, many factors are considered in the NFL draft process,
including scouting reports, interviews, medical tests, and measures of
strength, speed, anthropometry, and personality. Recently, an increased
emphasis has been placed on the measurement of cognitive abilities.
Historically, offensive linemen have been excluded from NFL research,
since they do not have individual performance statistics like other
positions. In this study, indicators of vigilance/impulsivity were
obtained from 315 offensive linemen from 2014-2021 prior to their NFL
draft. False start penalties per game (FSPG) was used as a dependent
measure, as a proxy to success on the field. Hierarchical multiple
regression analyses, indicated that higher accuracy on a Choice Reaction
Time task accounted for a statistically significant increase in the
explanation of FSPG, after controlling for draft placement. Given the
increasing use of cognitive assessment in the NFL, the utility of these
assessments is discussed within the player development process.