Collective Collapse in Team Sports Collective collapse in team sports captures one of the most puzzling experiences a team can endure — a dominant performance unravelling, seemingly without explanation, until a game that was won becomes one that is lost. The 2017 Super Bowl offers perhaps the starkest illustration: the Atlanta Falcons held a 28-3 lead, with a 98.9% calculated chance of victory, yet lost 28-34 in overtime[1]. What happened? And why could a team so commanding f
