A dolphin only looks like a fish: Players’ behaviour analysis is not enough for game understanding in the light of the systems approach – a response to the reply by McGarry and Franks

Abstract

In this article I defend my previously published system approach to game playing in sports (Lebed, 2006). Founded on the main argument of mine about insufficiency of performance analysis only for games study, it is based on an inter-disciplinary comprehension of sporting game events from four different angles: the logical-philosophical, the behavioural (performance), the anthropological, and complexity angles. The paper consists of four parts, corresponding to the four angles. The first three parts offer deconstructive and reconstructive analysis. The three provide criticism of McGarry and Frank's arguments against my view of complex dynamical systems in sports. The logical analysis negates my opponents' general view of a match (a process) as a dynamical system. The behaviour analysis refutes their claim about couple oscillator dynamics as a universal dynamically interpreted model of game playing. The anthropological panoramic vision of sporting games leads me to conclude that my opponents' analysis of two exclusively interacting sides in a squash or soccer contest is too narrow and insufficient to explain the broad diversity of games. According to the classification suggested in Lebed (2004), I offer seven possible models that can systematically reflect different groups of games. In the fourth part, the complexity angle is analysed from a constructive point of view. Here I take one of the above seven models and try to outline a ''soccer-like'' game perspective modelling founded on the view of play process as a conflict of two four-level self-regulating complex systems, where each one is additionally involved in its own loop of cybernetic regulation.

Efficacy of the “pick and roll” offense in top level European basketball teams

“…Basketball is characterized as an invasion team sport, where two teams dispute on a common field and the main objectives are to score goals, or points, and to prevent the opponent from scoring goals through individual, group and team actions (Grehaigne et al, 1997; Hughes and Bartlett, 2002; Lames, 2006; Lebed, 2007). Among these team actions, the better the collective organization between players, the higher the probability of match success.…”

A Comprehensive Mapping of High-Level Men’s Volleyball Gameplay through Social Network Analysis: Analysing Serve, Side-Out, Side-Out Transition and Transition

“…Th us, the team acts like a dynamic system, in which diff erent components/parts work together and oft en produce novel, emergent behaviour, while the overall systemic behaviour retroacts upon the parts (Palomares, 2008). Dynamic systems usually present subsystems that are highly complex and can exhibit partial independence (for example, cell organelles function partially independently, albeit concurring to the overall, systemic pattern of the human body) (Lebed, 2007). Th e coordinated activity of those subsystems and their interaction support their behaviour and their function (Walter, Lames, & McGarry, 2007).…”

The relations between the morphological status, situational efficiency and sport achievement of elite junior basketball teams

“…Успешност решавања ситуација у тимским спортским играма зависи од функционалних односа (квалитета сарадње) између играча у оквиру изабраног модела тактике игре тимова, потенцијалног и стварног квалитета играча (Trninić, 1996; Dežman, 1999; Trninić, Perica, i Dizdar, 1999; Trninić, Dizdar, i Dežman, 2000). Ниво сарадње између играча појединог тима одређена је вероватно спортско-специфичним обележјима личности, квалитетом играња и тактиком противничког тима, те захтева интеракциони приступ (Dežman, 1988;Erčulj, 1998; Trninić, i Diz-мора да буде у стању да се "саморегулише", независно од повратних информација тренера (Dežman, 1999;McGarry et al, 2002;Lebed, 2006Lebed, , 2007McGarry, & Franks, 2007;Trninić, Papić, i Trninić, 2011). У складу с тим важно је истакнути да је адаптабилност модела тактике игре повезана са обележјима играча целог тима.…”

“…Lebed, F. (2007). A dolphin only looks like a fi sh: Players' behaviour analysis is not enough for game understanding in the light of the system approach -a response to the reply by McGarry and Franks.…”