Felix Lebed (Hebrew: פליקס לבד; Russian: Феликс Лебедь; born September 10, 1956) is an Israeli professor of sports philosophy at Kaye Academic College of Education, known for his contributions to game theory, sports analytics, and pedagogy. He has contributed to understanding games as dynamic and complex human systems.^[1][2][3][4]

Lebed was born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine, where his early years were shaped by a deep connection to sports and a growing curiosity about education. Handball played a pivotal role in his life—first as a professional player and later as a coach—providing him with insights into teamwork, strategy, and human dynamics. He attended the National University of Physical Education and Sport of Ukraine, focusing on the intersection of sports psychology and pedagogy. Balancing his athletic career with rigorous academic studies, Lebed eventually earned his Ph.D. in 1986, focusing his research on the integration of psychological and pedagogical frameworks in team sports.^[5]

In 1981, Felix Lebed was invited to the Team Sports Department of his alma mater, the National University of Physical Education and Sport of Ukraine, where he held positions as a lecturer and coach of the university’s team handball squad. Over the following years, he advanced his career, becoming a senior lecturer, the chief coach of the female handball squad, and a coordinator (as well as a senior researcher) of a scientific group supervising the Soviet national team handball squads' Olympic preparation towards the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. During this period, he published a textbook on team handball (in cooperation) and over 30 papers, surveys, and selected proceedings of scientific congresses.^[5]

In the late 1980s, Lebed began privately consulting professional sport clubs in various team sports. This experience deepened his interest in the general theoretical approaches to competitive game playing, teaching, and coaching. In 1989, he published his first major review dedicated to this topic.^[6]

In November 1990, Lebed repatriated with his family to Israel. He quickly learned Hebrew and began teaching a practical course in volleyball (his secondary specialization in team sports) at the Faculty of Physical Education of Kaye Academic College of Education. Later on, he established and served as the first head of the college's M.Ed. degree program in the Physical Education Department.^[7][5] This program has since become a cornerstone of advanced teacher training at the institution as a unique program of Physical Education and Sports for Excluded and at Risk Communities.^[8]

His academic focus includes the philosophy of human play, team dynamics, and the application of complexity science to sports and education. Over the years, he has published extensively in international journals and contributed to interdisciplinary research in sports philosophy and analytics while training multiple generations of students to become teachers and scholars.^[5]

In 1990, Felix Lebed immigrated to Israel and joined the faculty of Kaye Academic College of Education in Beer Sheva. His academic focus includes the philosophy of human play, team dynamics, and the application of complexity science to sports and education. Over the years, he has not only published extensively in international journals and contributed to interdisciplinary research in sports philosophy and analytics^[9] but also trained multiple generations of students to become teachers. He also established and served as the first head of the college's Head of the M.Ed. degree program in the Physical Education Department. This program has since become a cornerstone of advanced teacher training at the institution. Additionally, he serves as a sport editorial board member in the "International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport".^[10]

Lebed’s work in game theory centers on the philosophical and systemic understanding of games as complex, dynamic systems. In his book Complexity and Control in Team Sports: Dialectics in Contesting Human Systems (2013), he explores the interplay of strategy, unpredictability, and human agency, offering a dialectical framework for analyzing team dynamics.^[1]

In Reflections on Play, Sport, and Culture: Introduction to the Play Field Theory (2023), Lebed advances his Play Field Theory, which examines games and sports as reflective of broader cultural and social interactions. This theory seeks to unify perspectives on play across disciplines such as philosophy, sociology, anthropology, history, and behavioral sciences.^[4] Lebed's analysis frequently reflects on the foundational ideas of prominent philosophers such as Johan Huizinga, whose concept of "Homo Ludens" situates play as central to culture^[11], and Ludwig Wittgenstein, whose views on language games influence the framing of competitive interaction^[12]. Additionally, Lebed draws on Herbert Marcuse’s critique of modern society to examine the role of play in fostering creativity and countering rigidity in cultural systems^[13].

At its core, Play Field Theory argues that playing is not merely a recreational activity but a fundamental component of human culture and psychology. According to Lebed, play serves as a medium for creativity, conflict resolution, and the development of cooperative strategies. He notes that while humanities disciplines have developed methods to study play, these specialized approaches often result in fragmented understandings. Play Field Theory addresses these gaps by offering an integrative framework that combines insights from diverse fields.^[4]

The term "play field" metaphorically describes the conceptual space where structural, psychological, and cultural dimensions of play intersect, acknowledging its variability across contexts. The theory emphasizes the interplay between individual agency and societal norms in play activities, making it relevant to broader cultural and social phenomena.^[4]

Lebed’s interdisciplinary methodology combines philosophical reflection with empirical research, providing a renewed lens for scholars to examine play's role in education, sport, and society. By situating play within its cultural and historical contexts, Play Field Theory encourages cross-disciplinary collaboration and deeper theoretical exploration.

Felix Lebed has authored numerous academic books and articles that have contributed significantly to the fields of game theory, sports analytics, and pedagogy.^[9] His books include:

• Complexity and Control in Team Sports: Dialectics in Contesting Human Systems (2013)^[1], which explores strategic dynamics in team sports through a complexity science lens.
• Complex Sport Analytics (2017)^[2], which examines advanced methodologies in analyzing sports data and performance,
• Complexity in Games Teaching and Coaching: A Multi-Disciplinary Perspective (2022)^[14], which provides a comprehensive view of applying complexity theory to the practice of teaching and coaching games,
• Reflections on Play, Sport, and Culture: Introduction to the Play Field Theory (2024)^[4], where he introduces a novel philosophical framework for analyzing games as cultural and social phenomena.

In addition to his books, Lebed has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals. Notable examples include:

• "System approach to games and competitive playing", European Journal of Sport Science, 6 (1): 33-42 · Jan 1, 2006^[15]
• "A dolphin only looks like a fish: Players' behaviour analysis is not enough for game understanding in a light of the system approach", European Journal of Sport Science 7 (1): 55-62 · Jan 1, 2007^[16]
• "On the philosophical definition of human play using the tools of qualitative content analysis", Sport, Ethics and Philosophy · Jul 1, 2019^[17]
• "Play and Spiel are not the Same: Anti-Wittgensteinian Arguments and Consideration of Game as a Kind of Human Play", Games and Culture · Nov 25, 2020^[18]
• "The Secret of Black Sportsmen’s Olympic Achievements", Journal of Olympic History · Jul 1, 2015^[19]
• "Complex systems in team sports", In T. McGarry, P. O’Donoghue, and J. Sampaio (eds.), Routledge Handbook of Sport Performance Analysis, Chapter 7, (pp.74-86). London: Routledge. · Feb 14, 2013^[20]

Lebed continues to teach and conduct research. In 2024, he was formally awarded the title of Professor by the Council for Higher Education in Israel in recognition of his significant academic contributions. His influential work in game theory and sports analytics has had a significant impact on educators, coaches, and researchers worldwide, advancing interdisciplinary approaches in these fields.

Felix Lebed resides in Rehovot, Israel, with his wife, Yevgenia. Outside his academic pursuits, he enjoys exploring cultural and historical topics, as well as spending time with his granddaughters.