Neural Network-Based Process Analysis in Sport

Processes in sport like motions or games are influenced by communication, interaction, adaptation, and spontaneous decisions. Therefore, on the one hand, those processes are often fuzzy and unpredictable and so have not extensively been dealt with, yet. On the other hand, most of those processes structurally are roughly determined by intention, rules, and context conditions and so can be classified by means of information patterns deduced from data models of the processes. Self organizing neural networks of type Kohonen Feature Map (KFM) help for classifying information patterns – either by mapping whole processes to corresponding neurons (see Perl & Lames, 2000; McGarry & Perl, 2004) or by mapping process steps to neurons, which then can be connected by trajectories that can be taken as process patterns for further analyses (see examples below). In any case, the dimension of the original data (i.e. the number of contained attributes) is reduced to the dimension of the representing neuron (normally 2 or 3), which makes it much easier to deal with. Additionally, extensions of the KFM-approach are introduced, which are able to flexibly adjust the net to dynamically changing training situations. Moreover, those extensions allow for simulating adaptation processes like learning or tactical behaviour. Finally, a current project is introduced, where tactical processes in soccer are analysed under the aspect of simulation-based optimization.