- Title
- Factors influencing the physiological and perceptual decision-making demands of Australian football field umpires
- Creator
- Elsworthy, Nathan
- Relation
- University of Newcastle Research Higher Degree Thesis
- Resource Type
- thesis
- Date
- 2015
- Description
- Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Description
- Team sport officials are an essential component of sport to ensure a fair and safe competition by enforcing the laws of the game. Some team sport officials (including but not limited to Australian football, soccer, rugby league and rugby union) have been referred to as “interactor” officials (MacMahon et al., 2014). Interactors are suggested to have “high interaction and physical movement demands and often a large number of cues to process” (MacMahon et al., 2014). These interactor officials are often exposed to extensive physical demands to maintain an ideal position around play to make perceptual judgements, based upon the actions of the players. Both the physical and perceptual decision-making tasks are performed simultaneously in order to apply the laws of the game. Despite this dual-task requirement of match play, the physical and perceptual decision-making training methods are typically applied in isolation, which fails to provide ecologically valid training strategies. Therefore, the overall aim of this thesis was to observe the physical and perceptual decision-making demands of match play and examine the effects of combined training methods in order to best replicate the match environment. An examination of the specific match demands of elite Australian football (AF) umpires has remained relatively unknown. In particular, no data have detailed the free kick decision-making performance of an umpire during match play, despite this being considered his/her primary role. Of further interest, the physical demands of different field umpire positions (mid-zone or end-zone) are yet to be examined. Therefore, to quantify the overall match demands of AF umpiring, 29 elite AF field umpires (age: 32.4 ± 6.1 yr; height: 181.7 ± 5.7 cm; body mass: 73.6 ± 5.4 kg) were assessed during 20 Australian Football League (AFL) matches (Study 1). Time-motion analysis data was collected from 5 Hz MinimaxX global positioning system (GPS) devices, and free kick decision-making accuracy was assessed by elite umpire coaches following each match. It was shown that field umpires covered a total distance (TD) of 10,563 ± 608 m, of which high speed running (HSR; > 14.4 km·h⁻¹) comprised 1,952 ± 494 m. Significant reductions (p < 0.05) were reported in both the TD and HSR distance following the first quarter. Significantly greater (p < 0.05) HSR and relative distances were covered within the mid-zone, compared to the end-zone demands. Overall, 44 ± 8 free kicks were awarded throughout a match, at an accuracy of 84 ± 6%. The number of free kicks awarded and decision-making accuracy (% correct) were consistent (p > 0.05) across quarters. Separately, the results show that despite reductions in the physical demands following the first quarter, decision-making accuracy is maintained throughout a match. Therefore decision-making performance was not directly compromised by the intermittent running demands that were completed by the AF umpires. The reduced physical demands of the end-zone (compared to the mid-zone) position allow for some physical recovery between bouts within the mid-zone, and these rotations permit the match demands are shared amongst all umpires. As such, the results of Study 1 provide current information regarding the physical and perceptual decision-making requirements of elite field umpires within AFL match play. In addition to Study 1, there is limited data available on sub-elite AFL umpires and comparison of the demands of elite and sub-elite AF umpires is important to compare the performance characteristics between the two levels of competition. Sub-elite AF competitions are vital for the development of umpire skills in their progression towards officiating elite match play. It is however unknown if these matches adequately prepare sub-elite umpires for the requirements of elite competition. Study 2 aimed to compare the physical and decision-making demands of elite and sub-elite competition. During 27 matches, time-motion analysis and free kick decision-making performance as described in Study 1 were examined for 36 AF umpires (elite: n = 29, age: 32.4 ± 6.1 yr, height: 181.7 ± 5.7 cm, body mass: 73.6 ± 5.4 kg; sub-elite: n = 7, age: 23.2 ± 2.3 yr, height: 178.2 ± 11.3 cm, body mass: 70.9 ± 7.3 kg). Significant differences (p < 0.05) in the TD and HSR existed between groups, with sub-elite umpires completing greater physical demands compared to elite umpires. Alternatively, elite umpires were superior in their free kick decision-making. Specifically, the number of correct decisions was similar, however sub-elite umpires made more incorrect decisions (16 errors; 68% correct) when compared to elite umpires (7 errors; 84% correct). The main findings of Study 2 highlight that the physical demands of sub-elite umpires are greater, which may contribute to them exhibiting poorer decision-making. These differences are likely due to a combination of factors including positioning, anticipation, rule knowledge and interpretation. Coaching staff need to ensure that they continue to develop the perceptual decision-making skills of sub-elite umpires to prepare them for elite match play performance. While Study 1 and Study 2 details the overall physical and perceptual decision-making demands of elite and sub-elite umpires, the physical aspects of their performance may present a number of potential factors limiting their perceptual decision-making abilities. As such, Study 3 investigated the effects of positioning and retrospective physical demands on the free kick decision-making accuracy of elite AF umpires. Using the same data that was analysed in Study 1, this study investigated how the positioning and physical demands may influence the free kick decision-making accuracy of elite AF umpires. It was shown that most decisions were made from a distance of 11-15 m from play; however distance from play had no significant effect on free kick decision-making accuracy (p > 0.05). In addition, the movement speed at the time of a decision had no effect on decision-making (p > 0.05). However, the running speed immediately prior to incorrect decisions was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than for correct decisions. These findings demonstrate that while there is no effect of distance from play or instantaneous velocity on decision-making accuracy, a higher running speed prior to a decision increases the likelihood of a decisional error. As such, superior anticipatory skills that would reduce the running demands prior to a decision may improve the decision-making accuracy of umpires. Despite the knowledge of the physical and physiological demands of interactor sports officials, little is known as to the relationship of these demands with decision-making performance, in particular during intermittent exercise typical of field-based team sport competition. Numerous laboratory-based studies have suggested that upon the onset of exercise, psychomotor performance continues to improve during steady state and incremental exercise before decreasing at higher exercise intensities, yet limited data is available for intermittent exercise. As such, the purpose of Study 4 was to examine changes in psychomotor performance of interactor sports officials during a laboratory based match simulation. Twelve elite interactor sports officials (age: 32.5 ± 5.5 yr; height: 180.0 ± 6.8 cm; body mass: 78.8 ± 7.6 kg) completed an intermittent match simulation on a non-motorised treadmill, while repeatedly completing a psychomotor task (Eriksen Flanker). Significant reductions (p < 0.05) in physical performance measures were observed towards the end of the simulation, however psychomotor performance was maintained throughout. However, when undertaking HSR (> 65% of maximal sprinting speed [MSS]), there was a significant improvement (p < 0.05) in psychomotor performance when compared with lower running speeds (< 65% MSS). Collectively, it appears that interactor sports officials can maintain their psychomotor performance through a laboratory simulation, despite reductions in the physical performance measures. Further, short duration bouts of HSR may actually promote psychomotor performance during intermittent exercise; possibly due to changes in central nervous system (CNS) arousal and cerebral blood flow (CBF) as a result of the increased running speed. Finally, the aim of Study 5 was to examine the effects of a combined high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and psychomotor training program on performance during an intermittent laboratory protocol. Ten sub-elite interactor sports officials (age: 22.5 ± 4.1 yr; height: 181.8 ± 8.3 cm; body mass: 75.7 ± 9.7 kg) initially completed a match simulation on the non-motorised treadmill (similar to that used in Study 4). Based on individual psychomotor performance, participants were placed either in a psychomotor training (n = 5) or physical conditioning (n = 5) group. Both groups completed a 6-week HIIT program (2 sessions per week; 4 sets of 3 or 4 min running efforts @ 90-95% maximum heart rate), with the psychomotor training group completing additional psychomotor training during the 3 min inter-interval recovery periods. Significant improvements (p < 0.05) were identified in maximal oxygen consumption (V̇O₂max) and velocity at V̇O₂max for both groups. Magnitude-based inferences suggest that the combined psychomotor and physical conditioning program provided a beneficial effect on psychomotor performance during and following the match simulation. The outcomes of the current study present a framework for the application of replicating the match environment for the acquisition of psychomotor skill of interactor sport officials. Collectively, these findings demonstrate the extensive physical and perceptual decision-making demands of AF umpires during match play. A considerable gap exists between elite and sub-elite umpires free kick decision-making accuracy thus highlighting the importance of developing decision-making performance through training. Further, traditional training methods used within interactor sports officials typically isolate the physical and decision-making aspects and as a result, they do not replicate the match demands. Overall, the findings of this thesis highlight the physical and decision-making demands of interactor sports officials, and provides a potential framework for the development of training strategies in order to replicate the physical and perceptual decision-making demands of match play.
- Subject
- perceptual-cognitive skill; decision making; team sport officials; thesis by publication
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1310273
- Identifier
- uon:22013
- Rights
- Copyright 2015 Nathan Elsworthy
- Language
- eng
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