Pass me that cone
So if we continue our thinking that athletes are not machines… we get curious about dynamical systems theory – a key component of ecological dynamics.
Let’s not overcomplicate this.
We can think of a complex system as simply a group of interacting parts.
Dynamical systems theory helps explain how behaviour emerges as those parts interact under changing constraints.
Complex systems reorganise themselves over time through self-organisation. No one part is in charge. Patterns stabilise (or become destabilised) because the constraints shape them.
This is why understanding constraints during competition is so important. They aren’t background details. They aren’t things that ‘limit’ behaviour. They shape behaviour.
So yes, a cone or marker can shape behaviour.
But how does it shape behaviour in competitive environments?
More often, it defines boundaries. It gives information about where to run or attack.
The “system” might be an individual player running down a sideline. Or it might be a team collectively exploiting the space that boundary provides.
But if we are using that cone in training to represent a defender, we need to understand the information that it provides and how the “system” (either individual or team) behaves differently when presented with a different constraint (i.e., an actual defender).
Perhaps the cone is important initially or during key phases of season to help with the coordination of the system. It still plays a role.
But it should make us think more about the information we place in our training environments.
What information can a defender provide that a cone cannot?
A defender provides movement.
Timing.
Deception.
Pressure.
Uncertainty.
A cone provides location.
Behaviours don’t just appear. They emerge from the information available.
Remove the defender and the system will still self-organise — but around different information.
And that changes everything.
There is a lot more to unpack - but let us sit on this for a little while.