Interpersonal Coordination Tendencies in Soccer: Uncovering the Tactical Side of the Game

This book investigated how football performers coordinate their behaviours in different levels of game organisation. We began with a position paper proposing the re-conceptualisation of sport teams as functional integrated superorganisms to frame a deeper understanding of the interpersonal coordination processes emerging between team players. Time-motion analysis procedures and innovative tools were developed and presented in order to capture the interpersonal coordination tendencies developed by players. These tendencies were captured and analysed in representative 1vs1 and 3vs3 sub-phases, as well as in the 11-a-side game format. Data showed higher levels of variability at the individual level compared to the team level. This finding suggested that micro-variability may contribute to stabilise the behavioural dynamics at the team level. Besides, the time-evolving dynamics of the collective behaviours (at 11-a-side level) during competitive football performance indicated a tendency for an increase in the predictability. Generally, the data presented here were interpreted as evidencing co-adaptation processes between opponent team players.