System approach to games and competitive playing: Reply to Lebed (2006)

Abstract

In this article, we respond to some criticisms by Lebed ( 2006 Lebed, F. 2006. System approach to games and competitive playing. European Journal of Sport Science, 6: 33–42. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar] ) of our previous research (McGarry, Anderson, Wallace, Hughes, & Franks, 2002 McGarry, T. , Anderson, D. I. , Wallace, S. A. , Hughes, M. and Franks, I. M. 2002. Sport competition as a dynamical self-organizing system. Journal of Sports Sciences, 20: 771–781. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar] ) in which we reported that (a) the space–time interactions of players in sports (squash) contests might usefully be considered as a dynamical system, (b) that the other racket sports of tennis and badminton might likewise subscribe to a similar description, and (c) that doubles-play in these same racket sports might further be explained using the same self-organizing principles. From there, we speculated that team sports (taking soccer as an example) might ultimately also subscribe to similar principles, thus offering the possibility of a common underpinning for the space–time movements of sports players that seemingly give rise to patterned behaviours that are nonetheless unique. Lebed ( 2006 Lebed, F. 2006. System approach to games and competitive playing. European Journal of Sport Science, 6: 33–42. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar] ) criticized this interpretation of sports (squash) contests as a dynamical system and instead offered a different account, though unfortunately these criticisms are inaccurate and unfounded. The most important point overlooked by Lebed ( 2006 Lebed, F. 2006. System approach to games and competitive playing. European Journal of Sport Science, 6: 33–42. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar] ), and thus reiterated here, is that the essentials for a dynamical system – namely, the presence of coupled oscillators that comprise the system, as well as the sharing of information among the coupled oscillators that produces the patterned formations – are present in the racket sports for both singles-play and doubles-play. The presence of these essentials for team sports, however, must remain a matter of speculation for the time being as noted previously (McGarry et al., 2002 McGarry, T. , Anderson, D. I. , Wallace, S. A. , Hughes, M. and Franks, I. M. 2002. Sport competition as a dynamical self-organizing system. Journal of Sports Sciences, 20: 771–781. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar] ).