Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 6, 2026
12:11
Objectively Assessing Sports Concussion Utilizing Visual Evoked Potentials
Published on: April 27, 2021
An objective method for depicting team performance in elite professional rugby union
Nicholas M P Jones1, Nic James, Stephen D Mellalieu
1Department of Sports Science, University of Wales Swansea, Swansea, UK. nicholas.jones@hotmail.co.uk
Journal of Sports Sciences
|April 15, 2008
Summary
This study introduces a new method to objectively measure team performance and form in professional rugby union. The developed indicators provide clear feedback, showing how team performance drops in close contests.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Performance Analysis
- Rugby Union Studies
Background:
- Traditional methods for assessing team performance in professional rugby union lack objectivity.
- There is a need for standardized metrics to evaluate team form and performance relative to previous matches.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a methodology for objectively depicting team performance and form in professional rugby union.
- To assess the impact of one team's performance on the opposing team within a match context.
Main Methods:
- Study 1: Developed standardized performance indicators and a performance report/form chart using a two-study approach.
- Study 2: Applied the developed methodology to compare team performances in a professional rugby union match, analyzing the effect of inter-team dynamics.
Main Results:
- Standardized performance indicators provided instant, coherent feedback on team performance relative to historical standards.
- Both teams exhibited a drop in relative performance on key indicators during a closely contested match, particularly in tackle and gain-line areas.
- The methodology proved superior to previously adopted global measures for depicting team performance.
Conclusions:
- The proposed methodology offers an accurate and viable approach to objectively depicting team performance and form in professional rugby union.
- Visualizing standardized team performances (form) on a single scale provides practical utility for coaches.
- Further research is recommended to explore the reciprocal effects of team performance on individual and team outcomes.
Related Concept Videos
01:10Standard Deviation
The most commonly used measure of variation is the standard deviation. It is a numerical value measuring how far data values are from their mean. The standard deviation value is small when the data are concentrated close to the mean, exhibiting slight variation or spread. The standard deviation value is never negative, it is either positive or zero. The standard deviation is larger when the data values are more spread out from the mean, which means the data values are exhibiting more...
01:12Boxplot
Box plots (also called box-and-whisker plots or box-whisker plots) give an excellent graphical image of the concentration of the data. They also show how far the extreme values are from most data. A box plot is constructed from five values: the minimum value, the first quartile, the median, the third quartile, and the maximum value. We use these values to compare how close other data values are to them. To construct a box plot, use a horizontal or vertical number line and a rectangular box. The...
01:02Ranks
Unlike parametric methods, nonparametric statistics are ideal for nominal and ordinal data, requiring fewer assumptions about the population's nature or distribution. This makes nonparametric methods easier to apply and interpret, as they do not depend on parameters like mean or standard deviation. One common approach in nonparametric analysis is to sort data according to a specific criterion. For instance, we might arrange weather data from hottest to coldest days in a month or rank cities...
01:12Coefficient of Correlation
The correlation coefficient, r, developed by Karl Pearson in the early 1900s, is numerical and provides a measure of strength and direction of the linear association between the independent variable x and the dependent variable y.
If you suspect a linear relationship between x and y, then r can measure how strong the linear relationship is.
What the VALUE of r tells us:
The value of r is always between –1 and +1: –1 ≤ r ≤ 1.
The size of the correlation r indicates the strength of the linear...
If you suspect a linear relationship between x and y, then r can measure how strong the linear relationship is.
What the VALUE of r tells us:
The value of r is always between –1 and +1: –1 ≤ r ≤ 1.
The size of the correlation r indicates the strength of the linear...
01:04Social Facilitation
Not all intergroup interactions lead to negative outcomes. Sometimes, being in a group situation can improve performance. Social facilitation occurs when an individual performs better when an audience is watching than when the individual performs the behavior alone. This typically occurs when people are performing a task for which they are skilled.
01:17z Scores and Area Under the Curve
z scores are the standardized values obtained after converting a normal distribution into a standard normal distribution. A z score is measured in units of the standard deviation. The z score tells you how many standard deviations the value x is above (to the right of) or below (to the left of) the mean, μ. Values of x that are larger than the mean have positive z scores, and values of x that are smaller than the mean have negative z scores. If x equals the mean, then x has a z score of zero.