Examples of personal, environmental and task constraints interacting at different levels and timescales. The timescale may vary: for example, anthropometric variables may change faster (eg, timescale of months) during puberty
| Timescale | Constraints | ||
| Personal | Environmental | Task | |
| Fraction of a second | Stretch-shortening cycle | Ball position | Perceived possibilities of action |
| Seconds | Attention focus | Referee decision | Opponent’s actions |
| Minutes | Acute fatigue | Opponents tactics | Coach instruction |
| Hours | Goal to win the match, mood | Temperature | Strategy |
| Days | Motivation | Social pressure | Workload specificity |
| Weeks | Strength | Rank score | Training intensity |
| Months | Overtraining syndrome | Seasons, climate | Calendar of competitions |
| Years | Anthropometry | Fan’s support | Sports rules |