A notation system, designed to record rally-end variables in Badminton, was shown to be both valid and reliable. Inter and intra reliability ranged from 98.6% (Rally length) to 91.3% (Position). Percentage differences between data from side, and end observations of the same match were not greater than for the intra-reliability data thus different court viewing angles had little effect on notation. Previous literature declared profiles of performance without adequately tackling the problem of quantifying of the data required in creating a normative template. The badminton notation system was used to examine the cumulative means of selected variables over a series of 11 matches of a player. A template, at match N(E), was established when these means became stable within set limits of error (LE). T-tests on the variable means in games won, and games lost established the existence of winning and losing templates for winners and errors. Match descriptors (rallies, shots and shots per rally) were independent of match outcome. General values of N(E) established for data types, (10% LE), were 3 matches (descriptive variables), 4 (winners/errors (w/e)), 6 (smash + w/e), 7 (position + w/e). Respective values at 5% LE were 7, 5, 8 and 10.There was little difference in the values of N(E) when variable means were analysed by game than by match. For the working performance analyst the results provide an estimate of the minimum number of matches to profile an opponent`s rally-end play. Whilst the results may be limited to badminton, men`s singles and the individual, the methodology of using graphical plots of cumulative means in attempting to establish templates of performance has been served.
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