title: Coordination tendencies are shaped by attacker and defender interactions with the goal and the ball in futsal.
abstract: This study examined how the location of the goal and ball constrained the interpersonal coordination tendencies emerging of attacker-defender dyadic systems in team sports. Additionally, we analysed how the positioning of defenders constrained the emergent coordination tendencies between the ball carrier and supporting teammates. To investigate these tendencies in team sports, ten futsal games were filmed to observe inter-individual interactions. Movement trajectories of players and ball were digitized during 52 outfield attacker-defender interactions involving thirteen goal-scoring sequences. Relative phase was used as a measure to express participant coordination tendencies in these dyadic systems (in-phase or symmetry - 0°; anti-phase or anti-symmetry - 180°). Stable in-phase patterns of coordination emerged between specific values of an attacker's distances to defenders and the goal (19% frequency from 0° to 29° of phase relations) and between specific values of distances of ball carriers to defenders and teammates (14% frequency from 0° to 29° of phase relations). A stable pattern of coordination of -60° emerged between values of an attacker's distances to defenders and the ball (18% frequency from 0° to 29° of phase relations). Distances of attackers to the goal and ball, and distances of ball carriers to defenders, seemed to be coupled in a specific manner to guide interpersonal coordination tendencies between players during competitive performance in the team sport of futsal.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Human Kinetics, Technical University of Lisbon, Estrada da Costa, 1495-688 Cruz Quebrada, Portugal; Faculty of Physical Education and Sports, Lusófona University of Humanities and Technologies, Campo Grande, 376, 1749-021 Lisboa, Portugal; CIPER - Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Human Performance, Estrada da Costa, 1495-688 Cruz Quebrada, Portugal. Electronic address: lpvilar@fmh.utl.pt.
authors.forename: Luís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vilar
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Human Kinetics, Technical University of Lisbon, Estrada da Costa, 1495-688 Cruz Quebrada, Portugal; CIPER - Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Human Performance, Estrada da Costa, 1495-688 Cruz Quebrada, Portugal.
authors.forename: Duarte
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Sciences, University of Beira Interior, Convento de Sto António, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal; CIDESD - Research Center in Sports, Health Sciences and Human Development, Convento de Sto António, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Travassos
authors.affiliation: Centre for Sports Engineering Research, Sheffield Hallam University, UK; FiDiPro Programme, University of Jyväskylä, Finland.
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Davids
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000378:Agonistic Behavior; D054874:Athletic Performance; D003163:Competitive Behavior; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004215:Distance Perception; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D011174:Portugal; D012916:Soccer / Q000523:psychology*; D012931:Social Environment; D013028:Space Perception; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Constraints; Dyadic systems; Ecological dynamics; Interpersonal coordination; Team sports