Comparative analysis of T-patterns using real time data and simulated data by assignment of conventional durations: the construction of efficacy in children’s basketball

The use of analytical techniques based on algorithms for identifying behaviour patterns using existing regularities has had a considerable methodological impact on the study of behaviour and human interaction also in the field sport-. This work focuses on the algorithm developed by Magnusson (1996, 2000) which, implemented in the THEME programme, enables the detection of T-patterns: a particular hierarchical structure between pairs of events in a time series. This work fulfils the objective of examining in depth the ability of THEME to detect temporal and sequential behavioural structures, through the comparison of the Tpatterns detected in records consisting of: real time data-expressed in frames-and simulated data-the same data with conventionally assigned duration (1, 10 and 100)-. And it does this at the core of an observational design that studies the construction of offensive sequences that end in a shot in basketball in the 13 and 14 years category. Regular structures in the game that show the detected T-patterns, equally in sequences that result in a basket as in those that lead to a miss, have allowed us to obtain particularly relevant information concerning the development of effective and ineffective sequences.