Multi-criteria assessment and ranking system of sport team formation based on objective-measured values of criteria set

• The study provides problem of team selection solution model.
• Players’ selection is a multi-criteria decision making problem.
• The model integrates objective values of players’ physical conditions.
• Criteria weights are based on subjective experts’ opinion.
• TOPSIS method is used as the basis for problem solution.

Basketball is one of the most popular sports games in the world. Professional basketball has become a significant contributor to global economics and business. Considerable funds attracted by the game motivate participants of the sporting process (players, coaches, club owners, administration and etc.) to strive for better athletic results, this way promoting internal and external rivalry. A large number of players and the desire of teams to attract better team members as well as improve the quality of the already available athletes, boost the use of assessment and rating processes. The most popular and widely used player rating systems are based on performance statistics, which reflect situational factors of the game. Most specialists believe that such systems lack objectivity. Meanwhile, the Authors suggest a systematic solution, i.e. an adjusted well-known TOPSIS method and principles for the design of the algorithm based on the method. As a consistent problem solving system, algorithms based on multi-criteria decision-making are regarded to be simple and clear, suitable to substantiate solutions as well as easily applied in practise. Methodologies used by the Authors will help ensuring a greater efficiency of player and team rating, more accurate prognoses of sports results, team formation, and optimisation of the training process considering individualism of team players and encouraging their versatility, i.e. conformity to general physical preparedness norms of the team. The suggested research methods could be used in other sports. Furthermore, these principles could be used in business management for team formation.