ABSTRACT
Extensive research in sport domains has shown that adult experts exhibit superior response selection performance (tactical decision making) as well as superior motor skill execution.
S. L. McPherson and J. N. Vickers (2004, p. 274)
In the 1988 Summer Olympic Games at Seoul, the decision in the final boxing match of the middle lightweight division went against the fighter who had landed nearly three times as many punches as his opponent in a seemingly one-sided fight. One consequence of this apparent “bad decision” was the introduction of a computerized scoring system, prior to the 1992 Games at Barcelona, that was intended to be more objective than the system that was then in use. This system, which was still in effect with only minor modifications for the 2012 Games in London, uses five judges, each of whom is equipped with an electronic box used to record responses. In each match, one boxer wears red and the other blue. If a judge detects a blow landed by the red boxer, a red button on the response box is to be pressed. Similarly, a blue button is to be pressed if the blue boxer lands a blow. For a point to be scored, three of the five judges must record a blow within a one-second interval. The boxer who receives the most points wins the match.
