Ecological dynamics as an alternative framework to notational performance analysis

In this chapter, we have shown how ecological dynamics provides understanding about how players use information from, their performance environment to attain successful performance in team sports. Our programme of research has shown that attackers seek to break symmetry with their nearest opponents as defenders try to maintain system symmetry breaking process in the state of the dyadic systems. In this case, when the defenders do not have the collective ability to re-establish dyadic systems stability, a shot at goal may occur. Attackers must perceive the locations of the immediate defender and the goalkeeper and shoot the ball in a specific direction and with a specific velocity that requires the opponents to displace faster than they are able to intercept the ball. Our results are encouraging and provide evidence that notational analysis based on performance statistics can be reductionist. Moreover, this approach has potential in areas such as training and programming in team sports, proposing the simplification of tasks instead of deconstructing them. By unveiling the influence of interacting task constraints on the emergent self-organized behaviours of players during performance, ecological dynamics reveals itself as a powerful tool for both researchers and practitioners in sport performance analysis.