An instrument for analyzing offensive game sense in ice hockey
Arjala, Anssi; Petäjä, Vesa (2013)
Arjala, Anssi
Petäjä, Vesa
HAAGA-HELIA ammattikorkeakoulu
2013
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2013052310274
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2013052310274
Tiivistelmä
During the past 30 years, the emergence of game centered game teaching models and the advances in research about decision making in sports have lead to game sense being largely viewed as a defineable and teachable trait, instead of something intangible. This can be seen as the common consensus in the world of ice hockey, as well.
This is a project-based Bachelor’s thesis that aimed to produce an instrument for analyzing individual’s game sense in offensive game situation roles in ice hockey. Some previous instruments for assessing decision making, and therefore game sense, in ball games exist, but they lack the specificity needed to be used to analyze the individual’s decisions in detail.
The instrument focuses on the first three seconds of each possession by the analyzed player. It has 15 varibles for the player’s actions, derived from Finnish Ice Hockey Association’s Meidän peli game teaching model. These variables are grouped into four categories: right decision, forcing the play, settling and freezing. The instrument disregards skill execution, which means that the observer focuses on the visible intent of the player’s actions, rather than the outcome.
The instrument was tested by using four Finnish U16 elite level ice hockey players as test subjects. The sample size for the trial was 10 games, which resulted in total of 1321 possessions being analyzed. With this kind of sample size, the instrument was found to give distinct, detailed and practical information about the player’s offensive game sense.
Although, judging from a common sense perspective, there seems to be strong evidence of face, construct, content and ecological validity, the validity and reliability of the instrument have not been scientifically confirmed.
This is a project-based Bachelor’s thesis that aimed to produce an instrument for analyzing individual’s game sense in offensive game situation roles in ice hockey. Some previous instruments for assessing decision making, and therefore game sense, in ball games exist, but they lack the specificity needed to be used to analyze the individual’s decisions in detail.
The instrument focuses on the first three seconds of each possession by the analyzed player. It has 15 varibles for the player’s actions, derived from Finnish Ice Hockey Association’s Meidän peli game teaching model. These variables are grouped into four categories: right decision, forcing the play, settling and freezing. The instrument disregards skill execution, which means that the observer focuses on the visible intent of the player’s actions, rather than the outcome.
The instrument was tested by using four Finnish U16 elite level ice hockey players as test subjects. The sample size for the trial was 10 games, which resulted in total of 1321 possessions being analyzed. With this kind of sample size, the instrument was found to give distinct, detailed and practical information about the player’s offensive game sense.
Although, judging from a common sense perspective, there seems to be strong evidence of face, construct, content and ecological validity, the validity and reliability of the instrument have not been scientifically confirmed.