Notational analysis – a mathematical perspective

The role of feedback is central in the performance improvement process, and by inference, so is the need for accuracy and precision of such feedback. The provision of this accurate and precise feedback can only be facilitated if performance and practice is subjected to a vigorous process of analysis.Recent research has reformed our ideas on reliability, performance indicators and performance profiling in notational analysis – also statistical processes have come under close scrutiny, and have generally been found wanting. These are areas that will continue to develop to the good of the discipline and the confidence of the sports scientist, coach and athlete. If we consider the role of a performance analyst in its general sense in relation the to the data that the analyst is collecting, processing and analysing, then there a number of mathematical skills that will be required to facilitate the steps in the processes:- i) defining performance indicators, ii) establishing the reliability of the data collected, iii) ensuring that enough data have been collected to define stable performance profiles, iv) determining which are important, v) comparing sets of data, vi) modelling performances and vii) prediction.The mathematical and statistical techniques commonly used and required for these processes will be discussed and evaluated in this paper.