TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2008//
TI  - Information-governing dynamics of attacker-defender interactions in youth rugby union
JO  - Journal of sports sciences
A1  - Passos, Pedro
A1  - Araújo, Duarte
A1  - Davids, Keith
A1  - Gouveia, Luis
A1  - Milho, João
A1  - Serpa, Sidónio
SP  - 1421
EP  - 1429
VL  - 26
IS  - 13
N2  - Previous work on dynamics of interpersonal interactions in 1 vs. 1 sub-phases of basketball has identified changes in interpersonal distance between an attacker and defender as a potential control parameter for influencing organizational states of attacker-defender dyads. Other studies have reported the constraining effect of relative velocity between an attacker and defender in 1 vs. 1 dyads. To evaluate the relationship between these candidate control parameters, we compared the impact of both interpersonal distance and relative velocity on the pattern-forming dynamics of attacker-defender dyads in the sport of rugby union. <br><br>RESULTS revealed that when interpersonal distance achieved a critical value of less than 4 m, and relative velocity values increased or were maintained above 1 m x s(-1), a successful outcome (i.e. clean attempt) for an attacker was predicted. Alternatively, when values of relative velocity suddenly decreased below this threshold, at the same critical value of interpersonal distance, a successful outcome for the defender was predicted. Data demonstrated how the coupling of these two potential, nested control parameters moved the dyadic system to phase transitions, characterized as a try or a tackle. Observations suggested that relative velocity increased its influence on the organization of attacker-defender dyads in rugby union over time as spatial proximity to the try line increased.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0264-0414
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02640410802208986
ID  - ref1
ER  -