System theoretical considerations to distinguish esports from sports

Abstract

The article renews the discussion about the acknowledgment of competitive video games—so-called esports—as sports and aims at elaborating system theoretical considerations to distinguish esports from sports. Firstly, the epistemological concept of systems theory is introduced. Secondly, sport is observed from a sociotheoretical point of view to determine the unity of the sports system and to reflect forms of structural couplings with other societal subsystems. Thirdly, sport and esport are observed on the basis of organisation-theoretical considerations and the integration of esport is constructed as a problem of decision making in sports clubs and sports federations. And fourthly, further perspectives of the scientific observation of sports and esports are outlined.