Spatio-temporal and object visualization in rugby union

The use of computer software as an aid to rugby, and sports coaching in general, is becoming increasingly utilized. Videoed sport is the most widely used form of raw data for sports analysis, though it is currently not being used to its full potential. Patterns of player movement and position, both for individuals and groupings of players, are important for understanding the complexities of professional team sports, and yet are not being adequately addressed. This paper outlines a project that aims to support coaching and/or commentary by visualizing and measuring the similarity of video-derived spatiotemporal information, and enabling timely access to relevant video clips. Specifically, methods by which a user of spatially-enabled sports software can visualize spatio-temporal and rugby object information will be discussed. Two issues are examined: (1) powerful spatio-temporal representation techniques for rugby constructs (such as the pitch, players and amalgamations of players: team, scrum, lineout, backline) and (2) user interface design and how it enables rugby object representation alongside the spatio-temporal visualization facility.UnpublishedCasti, J L (1997).Would-Be Worlds - How Simulation is Changing the Frontiers of Science. John Wiley and Sons. New York. Chang, C-W and Lee, S-Y (1997).A Video Information System for Sport Motion Analysis Journal of Visual Languages and Computing. 8: 265–287. Chaudhary, V (2001).Football Websites Wooed by 3-D System that Leaves Fans with no Argument. Dennis, P W and Carron, A V (1999).Strategic Decisions of Ice Hockey Coaches as a Function of Game Location Journal of Sports Sciences. 17(4): 263–268. Dent, B D (1990).Cartography - Thematic Map Design. 2nd edition edn. Wm.C.Brown Publishers. Dubuque, IA. Egenhofer, M J (1997).Query Processing in Spatial-Query-by-Sketch Journal of Visual Languages and Computing. 8(4): 403–424. Fermilab (2001).Exchange Bosons and Feynman Diagrams. Accessed: 20th June 2001. URL: http://www-e815.fnal.gov/ bugel/fineman.html FO, (Feynman Online) (2002).Feynman Online. Accessed: 7th May 2002. URL: http://www.scs-intl.com/online/frameload.htm?/online/diagrams.htm Fox, R (2002).News Track: Jacked-In Jersey Communications of the ACM. 45(2): 9. GamePlanner (2002).GamePlanner. Accessed: 7th May 2002. URL: http://www.gameplanner.co.uk/splash.cfm Kirker, B, Tenenbaum, G and Mattson, J (2000).An Investigation of the Dynamics of Aggression: Direct Observations in Ice Hockey and Basketball Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. 71(4): 373–386. McKethan, R N and Turner, E T (1999).Using Multimedia Programming to Teach Sports Skills Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. 70(3): 22–25. Salzberg, K, Blair, G, Hazra, R and Qian, R (2001).Intel’s Immersive Sports Vision Technical report. Intel. SportsTec (2002).Prove it to yourself: Put SportsCode through its paces. Accessed: 7th May 2002. URL: http://www.sportstecinternational.com/content/interactive/index.html Whigham, P (2000).Spatio-temporal modelling using Video Input In P. Whigham (ed.), The Evocation of Knowledge: Proceedings of the 12th Annual Colloquium of SIRC.. pp. 181–186. Worboys, M F (1995).GIS: A Computing Perspective. Taylor and Francis. London. WRN, (World Rugby Network) (2002).Position Map Reference. Accessed: 7th May 2002. URL: http://www.worldrugbynet.com/fieldmap.ht

Spatio-temporal and object visualization in rugby union

The use of computer software as an aid to rugby, and sports coaching in general, is becoming increasingly utilized. Videoed sport is the most widely used form of raw data for sports analysis, though it is currently not being used to its full potential. Patterns of player movement and position, both for individuals and groupings of players, are important for understanding the complexities of professional team sports, and yet are not being adequately addressed. This paper outlines a project that aims to support coaching and/or commentary by visualizing and measuring the similarity of video-derived spatiotemporal information, and enabling timely access to relevant video clips. Specifically, methods by which a user of spatially-enabled sports software can visualize spatio-temporal and rugby object information will be discussed. Two issues are examined: (1) powerful spatio-temporal representation techniques for rugby constructs (such as the pitch, players and amalgamations of players: team, scrum, lineout, backline) and (2) user interface design and how it enables rugby object representation alongside the spatio-temporal visualization facility.UnpublishedCasti, J L (1997).Would-Be Worlds - How Simulation is Changing the Frontiers of Science. John Wiley and Sons. New York. Chang, C-W and Lee, S-Y (1997).A Video Information System for Sport Motion Analysis Journal of Visual Languages and Computing. 8: 265–287. Chaudhary, V (2001).Football Websites Wooed by 3-D System that Leaves Fans with no Argument. Dennis, P W and Carron, A V (1999).Strategic Decisions of Ice Hockey Coaches as a Function of Game Location Journal of Sports Sciences. 17(4): 263–268. Dent, B D (1990).Cartography - Thematic Map Design. 2nd edition edn. Wm.C.Brown Publishers. Dubuque, IA. Egenhofer, M J (1997).Query Processing in Spatial-Query-by-Sketch Journal of Visual Languages and Computing. 8(4): 403–424. Fermilab (2001).Exchange Bosons and Feynman Diagrams. Accessed: 20th June 2001. URL: http://www-e815.fnal.gov/ bugel/fineman.html FO, (Feynman Online) (2002).Feynman Online. Accessed: 7th May 2002. URL: http://www.scs-intl.com/online/frameload.htm?/online/diagrams.htm Fox, R (2002).News Track: Jacked-In Jersey Communications of the ACM. 45(2): 9. GamePlanner (2002).GamePlanner. Accessed: 7th May 2002. URL: http://www.gameplanner.co.uk/splash.cfm Kirker, B, Tenenbaum, G and Mattson, J (2000).An Investigation of the Dynamics of Aggression: Direct Observations in Ice Hockey and Basketball Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. 71(4): 373–386. McKethan, R N and Turner, E T (1999).Using Multimedia Programming to Teach Sports Skills Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. 70(3): 22–25. Salzberg, K, Blair, G, Hazra, R and Qian, R (2001).Intel’s Immersive Sports Vision Technical report. Intel. SportsTec (2002).Prove it to yourself: Put SportsCode through its paces. Accessed: 7th May 2002. URL: http://www.sportstecinternational.com/content/interactive/index.html Whigham, P (2000).Spatio-temporal modelling using Video Input In P. Whigham (ed.), The Evocation of Knowledge: Proceedings of the 12th Annual Colloquium of SIRC.. pp. 181–186. Worboys, M F (1995).GIS: A Computing Perspective. Taylor and Francis. London. WRN, (World Rugby Network) (2002).Position Map Reference. Accessed: 7th May 2002. URL: http://www.worldrugbynet.com/fieldmap.ht

Sport and time geography: a good match?

This paper proposes using the rich visual “language” of Hägerstrand’s time geography to represent time-space relationships in sport, in particular within the spatial and temporal constraints of a game of rugby. Despite being applied outside of its traditional social context, it is argued that time geography’s ability to model movements and relationships at the individual level makes it (and its modelling constructs such as prisms and lifelines) a powerful visualisation tool able to provide valuable insights into goal-oriented team sport. The visual tools of time geography are shown in the context of a video information system, SCRUM (Spatio-Chronological Rugby Union Model).PublishedNon Peer ReviewedBaer, L D and Butler, D R. (2000). Space-time modelling of grizzly bears. Geographical Review, 90, 2, 206-221. Bale, J. (2000). Sportscapes. Sheffield: Geographical Association. Batty, M, Desyllas, J and Duxbury, E. (2003). The discrete dynamics of small-scale spatial events: agent-based models of mobility in carnivals and street parades. International Journal of Geographical Information Science, 17, 7, 673-697. Chang, C-W and Lee, S-Y. (1997). A Video information system for sport motion analysis. Journal of Visual Languages and Computing, 8, 265-287. Dennis, P W and Carron, A V. (1999). Strategic Decisions of Ice Hockey Coaches as a Function of Game Location. Journal of Sports Sciences, 17, 4, 263-268. Forer, P. (1998). Geometric Approaches to the Nexus of Time, Space and Microprocess: Implementing a Practical Model for Mundane Socio-Spatial Systems. In: M J Egenhofer and R G Golledge (eds), Spatial and Temporal Reasoning in Geographic Information Systems, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp.171-190. Franks, I M and Nagelkerke, P. (1988). The Use of Computer Interactive Video in Sport Analysis. Ergonomics, 31, 11, 1593-1603. Fyfe, N R. (1992). Space, Time and Policing – Towards a Contextual Understanding of Police Work. Environment and Planning D – Society and Space, 10, 4, 469-481. Gatrell, A and Gould, P. (1979). A micro-geography of team games: Graphical explorations of structural relations. Area, 11, 275-278. Gatrell, A and Senior, M. (1999). Health and health care applications. In: P Longley, M Goodchild, D Maguire and D Rhind (eds), Geographic Information Systems, New York: John Wiley, vol. 2, pp.953-965. Hägerstrand, T. (1970). What about people in spatial science? Papers of the Regional Science Association, 24, 7-21. Hägerstrand, T. (1974). On socio-technical ecology and the study of innovations. Ethnologia Europaea, 7, 25-37. McBride, S, Ma, D and Escobar, F. (2002). Management and Visualisation of Spatiotemporal information in GIS. In: P A Whigham (ed), Proceedings of the 14th Annual Colloquium of the Spatial Information Research Centre, Dunedin, New Zealand: University of Otago, pp.49-61. Miller, H. (1991). Modelling Accessibility using space-time prism concepts within geographical information systems. International Journal of Geographical Information Systems, 5, 287-301. Moore A B, Whigham P A, Aldridge C, Holt A and Hodge, K. (2001). Rugby: (a) union of space and time. In: P A Whigham (ed), Proceedings of the 13th Annual Colloquium of the Spatial Information Research Centre, Dunedin, New Zealand: University of Otago, pp.183-194. Nandhakumar, J. (2002). Managing time in a software factory: Temporal and spatial organization of IS development activities. Information Society, 18, 4, 251-262. O’Sullivan, D, Morrison, A and Shearer, J. (2000). Using desktop GIS for the investigation of accessibility by public transport: an isochrone approach. International Journal of Geographical Information Science, 14, 1, 85-104 Pingali, G S, Opalach, A, Jean, Y D and Carlbom, I B. (2002). Instantly indexed multimedia databases of real world events. IEEE Transactions on Multimedia, 4, 2, 269-282. Thrift, N. (1977). An Introduction to Time-Geography. Concepts and Techniques in Modern Geography, UEA, Norwich: Geo Abstracts Ltd. Wagner, P. (1981). Sport: culture and geography. In: A Pred (ed), Space and Time in Geography Lund, Sweden: Gleerup, pp.85-108. Whigham, P. (2000). Spatio-temporal modelling using video input. In: P A Whigham (ed), Proceedings of the 12th Annual Colloquium of the Spatial Information Research Centre, Dunedin, New Zealand: University of Otago, pp.181-186