Performance indicators in sport are often specific to individual performances rather than being typical for performers. Therefore, Hughes et al. (2004b) developed the concept of normative profiles of sports performance and a means of determining the number of matches required for performance indicators to stabilise within a tolerable percentage error of the typical mean for the performer. This technique does not address the possibility of sampling error and involves more calculation than is often necessary to determine the number of matches that are required to produce a stable performance profile. This paper develops an equation that can determine the number of matches required for the mean of a performance indicator to stabilise. Where the performance indicator is normally distributed and the coefficient of variation is 5% or less, the equation determines a number of matches required for stability with 95% confidence. The equation was tested and validated during a computerised simulation exercise that generated multiple samples of synthetic data.
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