The Team-Mate Identification (TM-ID) test : a portable apparatus for collecting decision latencies for players in team invasion sports

In team sports, effective execution of a pass depends on correctly and quickly identifying the intended receiver as a team-mate. The ability to make such identifications has been tested by showing players short video-clips of moving players. However, an apparatus is needed to enable researchers to collect latency data for these decisions at a standard that provides suitable accuracy for scientific research. For the Team- Mate Identification (TM-ID) test, both identification times and response selections made by team players after viewing brief video-clips of moving athletes must be collected on response keys, for subsequent signal detection analysis. To do this, a timer is initiated when a light sensor fixed to the corner of a monitor screen detected a white square that had been edited into the video-clips. The observing player presses down on a home key, with six selection keys arranged in a semi-circular pattern. Decision time to release the home key and the selection key pressed ware then recorded. Using this apparatus participants view a series of randomly sequenced video-clips of the relevant locomotor skill, e.g., swimming or running performed by team-mates and unknowns. The apparatus designed and built for the TM-ID test is a compact and portable device, designed in this instance to work with a PC laptop system that provides a portable testing apparatus that could be taken to the athlete.