https://revistaseug.ugr.es/index.php/IJRSS <p>The International Journal of Racket Sports Science is an open-access online journal that publishes unpublished research articles, reviews, and letters in all areas related to racket sports and sports science. The journal's primary objective is to provide a comprehensive and reliable source of information on the latest advances in this field, positioning itself as a key resource for researchers, practitioners, and students interested in the scientific study of racket sports.</p> Editorial Universidad de Granada en-US International Journal of Racket Sports Science 2695-4508 https://revistaseug.ugr.es/index.php/IJRSS/article/view/36742 <p>Recent advances of artificial intelligence, data science, sensors and wearable technologies have fostered the emergence of an increasing number of tools, services and approaches for collecting and processing sports data by promising information that can be used to improve athletes’ performance in a variety of contexts. Recent sports research publications indicate a trend on topics related to artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision for data acquisition and analysis. However, this trend also raises questions from practitioners and researchers that are not familiar with the underlying concepts and technologies of such tools and approaches since their experience and education are mostly focused on the sports domain. Some of such questions are: what is the difference between these aforementioned technologies and techniques? What are common mistakes and caveats when trying to apply them in practice? Which of them better fits to overcome the challenges related to sports science from data collection to its analysis? With those questions in mind, this paper aims to provide an overview of the fundamental concepts of artificial intelligence and statistical data analysis, with a particular focus on their application to badminton-related challenges. We cover from classic statistics-based analysis to state-of-the-art deep learning models, addressing issues such as data acquisition and processing, and the limitations of each technique. We also discuss the interpretation of complex data outputs, since users must be aware of the limitations and potential biases of the algorithms to ensure that the insights provided by the results are relevant. We aim this knowledge can empower sports professionals to make informed decisions and effectively leverage technology to improve athletic performance and sports organizations.</p> Leyza Elmeri Baldo Dorini Bogdan Tomoyuki Nassu Keiko Verônica Ono Fonseca Copyright (c) 2026 Leyza Elmeri Baldo Dorini, Bogdan Tomoyuki Nassu, Keiko Verônica Ono Fonseca https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 2026-03-21 2026-03-21 8 1 1 19 10.30827/ijrss.36742 https://revistaseug.ugr.es/index.php/IJRSS/article/view/34669 <p>The purpose of this study was to examine the eye movement characteristics and visual attention of badminton players with different levels of experience during serve reception. Twenty badminton players (n = 12 elite and n = 8 novice) performed 20 serve receptions (backhand and forehand, short and long serves). Eye movements, including quiet eye (QE) duration, average fixation duration, first fixation duration, and fixation count across 15 predefined areas of interest (AoIs), as well as pupillary responses (pupil diameter) during baseline and serve reception, were analysed. The results showed that elite players exhibited significantly longer QE durations than novice players during serve reception. Although no significant differences were observed in pupil diameter between groups, pupil dilation increased in all players during serve reception compared with baseline values, with greater dilation observed during forehand short and long serves. With respect to AoIs, elite players demonstrated significantly longer fixation durations on task-relevant areas, particularly the waist and racket, followed by the ball, left hand, and wrist, whereas novice players exhibited longer fixation durations on the head and outer areas. Overall, increased QE duration and pupil dilation during serve reception appear to be associated with enhanced visual attention processing. The findings indicate that gaze behaviour strategies differ according to playing experience during singles badminton serve reception, highlighting the importance of visual–motor integration in perceptual–motor performance.</p> Deniz Şimşek Semra Bıdıl Ece Ayaz Kanat Eralp Doğu Copyright (c) 2026 Deniz Şimşek, Semra Bıdıl, Ece Ayaz Kanat, Eralp Doğu https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 2026-04-30 2026-04-30 8 1 20 31 10.30827/ijrss.34669