Game, set, match! What game theory can tell us about sports strategy

Join us at the Library of Birmingham on 24th October, 12:00–14:00 for an exciting and interactive exploration of economic theory in action. We’ll start with a short, non-technical, introduction to game theory, a tool economists use to model decision making, will be provided. You’ll then take part in an interactive online game in which participants use their mobile phones or tablets to make strategic decisions. Afterwards, we’ll discuss what drove your decision making and whether this was successful. We will then relate these insights back to game theory and, using real-world evidence from tennis and football matches, analyse the implications for strategies in these settings. We will finish by discussing how these insights can help sports competitors and managers perform better. This event promises to be both fun and thought-provoking…perfect for anyone curious about strategy, sport, and decision making!

There is often a perception amongst the public that economics is all about money and focuses on macroeconomic factors such as GDP and unemployment. This event will demonstrate that economists are also interested in investigating individual decision making. Through an interactive online game, participants will experience strategic decision making first-hand, before discussing what influenced their choices and whether these strategies proved successful. Furthermore, as we will discuss, the insights provided have implications for a diverse range of activities in society.  As we will demonstrate, this includes strategies adopted by competitors in sports such as tennis and football. Participants will therefore gain new understanding of the diverse real-world insights economic understanding can provide.

Dr Matthew Olczak, Reader in Economics at Aston University and Dr Chris Wilson, Senior Lecturer in Economics at Loughborough University.

The event will appeal to any member of the public (aged 14+) that has a curiosity about economics.  

In particular, the event will be of interest to those who participate in and/or watch sport.

24/10/2025