Team Cognition in Sport: How Current Insights Into How Teamwork Is Achieved in Naturalistic Settings Can Lead to Simulation Studies

This opinion paper questions current theoretical positions about how teamwork is achieved in sport teams. Based on studies conducted in naturalistic settings, the following assumptions are criticised: (1) expert teams use implicit coordination, (2) implicit coordination is based on shared knowledge within the team, (3) team synergies emerge form the spatiotemporal relationship and affect coordination, and (4) athletes are attuned to local information. An alternative model to explain the successful coordination in sport teams is introduced, and first experiences with a simulation study are reported.