16.11.2012 Views

Biomechanics and Medicine in Swimming XI

Biomechanics and Medicine in Swimming XI

Biomechanics and Medicine in Swimming XI

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

<strong>Biomechanics</strong><strong>and</strong>medic<strong>in</strong>e<strong>in</strong>swimm<strong>in</strong>gXi<br />

Reilly T., Lees A. (eds.), Swimm<strong>in</strong>g science VI: <strong>Biomechanics</strong> <strong>and</strong> medic<strong>in</strong>e<br />

<strong>in</strong> swimm<strong>in</strong>g (pp. 313 – 319). London: E & F N Spon.<br />

Lozov<strong>in</strong>a, V. (1983). Influence of morphological characteristics <strong>and</strong> motorical<br />

abilities <strong>in</strong> swimm<strong>in</strong>g on success of water polo players. Unpublished<br />

doctoral dissertation, Zagreb: Faculty of Physical Education.<br />

Lozov<strong>in</strong>a, M., Durovic, N. & Katic, R. (2009). Position specific morphological<br />

characteristics of elite water polo players. Coll Antropol, 33,<br />

3, 781–789.<br />

Matković, I., Gavrilović, P., Jovović D. & Thanopoulos V. (1999). Specific<br />

abilities test of top Yugoslav water polo players <strong>and</strong> its validation.<br />

In: Kesk<strong>in</strong>en K.L., Komi P.V., Pitkanen P.L. (eds.), <strong>Biomechanics</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />

Swimm<strong>in</strong>g VIII (pp. 259-264). Juvaskyla: University of Jyvaskyla.<br />

Platanou, T. & Geladas, N. (2006). The <strong>in</strong>fluence of game duration <strong>and</strong><br />

play<strong>in</strong>g position on <strong>in</strong>tensity of exercise dur<strong>in</strong>g match-play <strong>in</strong> elite<br />

water polo players. Journal of Sports Sciences, 24, 11, 1173 – 1181.<br />

Platanou, T. (2009). Cardiovascular <strong>and</strong> metabolic requirements of water<br />

polo. Serb. J. Sports. Sci, 3, 4, 85-97.<br />

Sarmento, P. (1994). Physiological <strong>and</strong> morphological task related profiles<br />

of Portuguese water polo players. II. International Symposium on<br />

<strong>Biomechanics</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Medic<strong>in</strong>e</strong> <strong>in</strong> Swimm<strong>in</strong>g, Atlanta.<br />

Smith, H. (1998). Applied physiology of water polo. Sports <strong>Medic<strong>in</strong>e</strong>,<br />

26, 317 – 334.<br />

Tsekouras, Y.E., Kavouras, S.A., Campagna, A., Kotsis, S.A., Syntosi<br />

S.S., Papazoglou, K. & Sidossis, L. (2005). The anthropometrical <strong>and</strong><br />

physiological characteristics of water polo players. European Journal of<br />

Applied Physiology, 95, 35-41.<br />

278<br />

A Markov Cha<strong>in</strong> Model of Elite Water Polo<br />

Competition<br />

Pfeiffer, M., hohmann, A., siegel, A., Böhnle<strong>in</strong>, s.<br />

Institute of Sport Science, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany<br />

When it comes to water polo, performance diagnostics offers many<br />

different methods to analyze a game. In this context, problems mostly<br />

occur <strong>in</strong> adequately modell<strong>in</strong>g the game, <strong>in</strong> part because the various<br />

approaches lack scope for uniform performance criteria. In this study<br />

the concept of match-play analysis through mathematical simulation by<br />

means of the Markov-cha<strong>in</strong> model was applied to water polo <strong>and</strong> used<br />

to analyse the performance relevance of tactical behaviour patterns at<br />

the World League F<strong>in</strong>al 2007 (Berl<strong>in</strong>) with focus on the German <strong>and</strong><br />

Serbian teams. The results suggest that <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational-level water polo,<br />

the performance relevance of “Turn over to counter attack” <strong>and</strong> “Turn over<br />

to One-center-attack” were the most worthwhile tactical behaviour<br />

patterns. No significant differences between Germany <strong>and</strong> Serbia<br />

could be found.<br />

Key words: game analysis, water polo, tactical behaviour, simulation,<br />

Markov cha<strong>in</strong><br />

IntroductIon<br />

From a performance diagnostic po<strong>in</strong>t of view, the key task of notational<br />

analysis is to analyze the game structure <strong>and</strong> f<strong>in</strong>d determ<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g factors,<br />

<strong>in</strong> this case tactics, of performance. A look at the literature shows that<br />

a large number of methods have been developed – based on rapid technological<br />

developments <strong>in</strong> the area of computers, video etc. – to analyse<br />

the structure of game sports by game observation, <strong>in</strong> order to identify<br />

performance <strong>in</strong>dicators (Hughes & Bartlett, 2002). A comprehensive<br />

review of the evolution of notational analysis <strong>in</strong> sports games is given<br />

by Hughes <strong>and</strong> Franks (2004), Hughes (2008) <strong>and</strong> Hughes <strong>and</strong> Bartlett<br />

(2008). Most of these methods use structure-oriented observation models,<br />

which enable the researcher to register isolated elementary actions<br />

<strong>in</strong> a match, but do not allow for the obta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g of data on the <strong>in</strong>teraction<br />

process itself.<br />

Consider<strong>in</strong>g a sports game as a dynamic system or an <strong>in</strong>teractionprocess,<br />

different stochastic models have been developed. The models of<br />

the f<strong>in</strong>ite Markov cha<strong>in</strong> were successfully applied to describe <strong>and</strong> predict<br />

play<strong>in</strong>g profiles or patterns (McGarry & Franks, 1994; McGarry & Perl,<br />

2004), <strong>and</strong> to determ<strong>in</strong>e the performance relevance of tactical behaviour<br />

(Hirotsu, Miyaji, Ezake, Shigenaga & Taguchi, 2004; Hohmann, Zhang<br />

& Koth, 2004; Lames, 1991; Zhang, 2003). In the game analysis approach<br />

of Lames (Lames, 1991; Lames & McGarry, 2007), comparable<br />

quantitative values for the performance relevance of selected tactical<br />

patterns are determ<strong>in</strong>ed by the method of simulation. The concept of<br />

performance analysis through mathematical simulation by means of the<br />

Markov cha<strong>in</strong> model was first established <strong>in</strong> the area of return games<br />

<strong>and</strong> successfully transferred to <strong>in</strong>vasion games (e.g. h<strong>and</strong>ball <strong>and</strong> soccer;<br />

Pfeiffer, 2004; Pfeiffer, 2005; Pfeiffer & Hohmann, 2008). In this study,<br />

the same approach was applied to water polo to analyse the relevance of<br />

specific tactical behaviour to performance <strong>in</strong> general <strong>and</strong> with focus on<br />

the German <strong>and</strong> Serbian Water Polo teams at the World League F<strong>in</strong>al<br />

2007 <strong>in</strong> Berl<strong>in</strong>.<br />

Methods<br />

Observation model: The water polo match is described as a system that<br />

gradually moves through different states. The start<strong>in</strong>g po<strong>in</strong>t of our observation<br />

model was the possession of the ball (state “Turn over”). The<br />

offensive play was modelled on the basis of all offensive attempts, which<br />

were characterized by 16 different states of the game. These states represent<br />

different player positions <strong>in</strong> even-man offense (6-6; position at-

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!