the other 50%: technology

and analytics in soccer

jason heckendorn
w.p. carey school of business
honors thesis project
director: john eaton
second reader: amy ostrom

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special thanks to

amy ostrom, arizona state university
john eaton, arizona state university
jonathan lofrisco, arizona state university
chris anderson, cornell university
eddie kendralla, phoenix suns
coleman bessert, exos
craig friedman, exos
dan burns, exos
darcy norman, exos
dave schifrin, exos
nick winkelman, exos
amanda carlson-philips, exos
roy sugarman, exos
joel mcfadden, fan interactive
claudio romano, fifa
michael crowley, infomotion
peko hosoi, massachusetts institute of technology
fergus connolly, sport science consultant
erik duhaime, mit sloan sports analytics conference
matia kostakis, mit sloan sports analytics conference
tatiana mendoza, mit sloan sports analytics conference
jeff agoos, mls
geir jordet, norwegian school of sport sciences
blake wooster, prozone
ravi ramineni, seattle sounders fc
bekir sirin, sentio sports
john brenkus, sport science
andrew opatkiewicz, stats llc
brian kopp, stats llc
paul robbins, stats llc


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Table of Contents
Special Thanks To .............................................................................................................. 1
Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 3
My Journey ......................................................................................................................... 5
Methodology and Research Methods ............................................................................... 7
Industry Overview ........................................................................................................... 10
Sports Science, Analytics, and Technology ................................................................. 10
Industry History and Transition .................................................................................. 12
The Other 50% .............................................................................................................. 17
In Sports ........................................................................................................................ 19
In Business ..................................................................................................................... 25
Technology and Analytics in Soccer Performance ........................................................ 29
Technical Abilities and Tactics .................................................................................... 30
Physiology...................................................................................................................... 42
Neuroscience ................................................................................................................. 52
Moving Forward .............................................................................................................. 61
Ethical Discussion ......................................................................................................... 61
Implications ................................................................................................................... 69
Recommendations and Conclusion ............................................................................. 78
References ......................................................................................................................... 84



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Abstract
The beautiful game is unpredictable. Arguably half of soccer is entirely out of our control,
instead being determined by a simple concept: luck. But what of the other 50%? Ultimately, the goal
of the rapidly-advancing technologies and analytics in on-field sports performance is to maximize
the elements that we the coaches, players, decision-makers, and analysts truly control. Once
perceived as too mathematical and systemized, contradicting coaches intuitions, sports sciences are
burgeoning in the sports arena both in applied and mainstream popularity. While the industry has
its critics and is far shy of its pinnacle, its advancements and successes cannot be ignored. From the
training ground to match day decision-making, analytics are embedded in soccer and sport.
Technology and analytics are vastly utilized throughout sporting organizations across a
myriad of sports and purposes: scouting and drafting, fan experience, ticketing, etc. However, while
these areas must be addressed in discussing the success of analytics in assessing situations and
reducing uncertainty, my central thesis relates to the technological capabilities and corresponding
analytical tools utilized to identify, assess, and improve on-field soccer performance: match analysis.
This papers core focuses on optimizing performance in soccer players in three specific areas of
performance: technical abilities and tactics, physiology, and neuroscience.
After dozens of interviews and expansive secondary research, my findings are composed in
three central areas: industry analysis, soccer performance analysis, and additional commentary. The
industry analysis will comprehensively address and analyze the industrys current position across

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soccer performance, allowing insight into the methods and practices of the industry. Further, by
integrating case studies to highlight numerous stories of teams, players, and sports entities that have
found success with analytics, I demonstrate the profound impact an analytical strategy can have to
amplify the decision-making process. Lastly, I provide unique commentary on the ethical dilemmas
associated with rapidly-advancing technologies and big data, the overall implications of technology
and analytics in soccer and sport, and future simple four key recommendations that clubs and the
industry as a whole should consider: 1. Have a plan, 2. Understand the process, 3. Find harmony,
and 4. Impact soccers culture.
As opposed to utilizing current data to assess a teams situation or providing new analytical
models, this triangulation of research methods incorporates facets of quantitative and qualitative
analyses, allowing for a strengthened understanding of the industry, its successes, and its future
direction. Ideally, this will be used as an educational tool for aspiring professionals in the sports
analytics industry, yet its holistic perspective also provides value for players, teams, coaches,
analysts, fans, and decision-makers.


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My Journey
Sports are my true love; since I was five, soccer has been my favorite pastime, conditioning
workout, and coping mechanism. Although my dreams of goalkeeping for Manchester United have
long passed since the glory days of high school and ASU club soccer not to mention that I dont
even eclipse six feet my aspirations of living through sports were realized at ASU with the Sports
Business Association. I joined the Sports Business Association during my freshman year at ASU,
eager to discover my passion and pursue a career in sports; three years later, I was elected as the
organizations president. My leadership in planning strategic and tactical initiatives, managing
internship fairs and a prominent speaker series, and demonstrating a firm commitment to
community outreach ultimately led to SBA winning W.P. Careys Organization of the Year.
My journey towards the sports technology and analytics space began two years ago when
SBA facilitated my introduction to Athletes Performance, the industry leader in integrated
training, nutrition, and physical therapy for elite and professional athletes. Initially, the company
seemed fascinating yet not overly extraordinary nor a company for which I envisioned working.
When the companys CEO, Dan Burns, hosted our organization for a tour and question/answer
session, my main curiosity centralized around the adidas miCoach team system and how the
company used data analytics with its athletes, namely the soccer players. At that point, MLS recently
began using the system as a unique performance (and marketing) tool, illustrating live statistics,
heat charts, and so on. While this was merely the cusp of what the industry was capable of, it

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enraptured me. Responding to my question, Burns shocked me when he explained that the
company worked extensively with adidas on the miCoach system. At that point, I was determined
to develop or market or sell or simply be involved with team systems, and Athletes Performance
was the ideal destination.

(MLS, Adidas)
Eventually, my ardent pursuit towards a sports analytics career intensified with an array of
internship and part-time job opportunities, including with AdSport, the Phoenix Suns, and
Navigate Research. Most notably, I interned with Athletes Performance in the summer and fall of
2013. As a member of the marketing team, I was given the opportunity to partner with the
performance innovation team to further its sports science programs. For my capstone project, I
focused on the market opportunity of a proprietary athletic assessment tool by understanding the
product, performing market research, and presenting a marketing analysis with actionable
recommendations. Ultimately, this invaluable experience sharpened my skills, expanded my
network, and furthered my passion. Likewise, after attending the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics

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Conference in 2013, my ultimate goal has been to maximize athletes potential and usher in a new
era of sports technology and analytics by developing team system and player-tracking products and
analyzing sports performance data, allowing teams and players to succeed.
In essence, this thesis project has enabled the ardent pursuit of my passion for sports
technologies and analytics. Throughout my expansive research, Ive furthered my knowledge of the
industry and hopefully positioned myself successfully for a post-graduate career. As Chris Anderson
would state in The Numbers Game, I am an iconoclast of the soccer reformation.
Methodology and Research Methods
I am a student under the direction of Professor John Eaton in the W.P. Carey School of
Business and Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University. This thesis paper is
constructed as an industry assessment; as opposed to using the traditional scientific research study
format or analyzing a particular element of the industry or proposing a new analytical model with
which to assess soccer, this is my attempt at analyzing the current industry as it stands. Simply put, I
hope to identify the current industry landscape first with brief summaries of other uses of
technology and analytics across business and other sports. The core area and purpose of my thesis
paper focuses on an in-depth discussion of technology and analytics uses in relation to soccer
technical and tactical, physiological, and neuroscientific performance, including case studies to
further validate my support and passion for the industry. Lastly, I will consider ethical situations

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affecting the sports science industry as a whole (including discussion perhaps more relevant to other
sports) and provide implications and recommendations going forward.
Considering this format, I will not necessarily infer solutions or make concrete, quantitative
conclusions; instead, I will conclude with personal commentary concerning implications for the
industry over the next several years, ethical questions related to rapidly-advancing technologies and
the availability of data and analytics systems, and lastly recommendations that I can provide based
on my knowledge and limited experience. Whereas the remainder of the paper is a compilation of
available data and professional insights, this last section will allow me to add my opinions and
insights on more qualitative subjects.
Concerning research methods, I collected data via several primary sources: primary research
(interviews), secondary research (literature, online sources, conferences), and personal experience. I
conducted over 10 individual interviews, each approximately an hour in length, over the course of
several months several of which included a follow-up interview for more questions and
clarification. While Institutional Review Board guidelines prohibit me from including names and
directly attributing quotes to each individual throughout my paper, I can briefly summarize the
individuals with whom I interviewed. These individuals work for a multitude of leading companies
in the analytics and technology spaces in soccer and sport. The following is a list of generalized job
titles and industry experience:
Business development and marketing, 5+ years

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League director and former player, 15+ years
Neuroscientist, 30+ years
Nutritionist and researcher, 10+ years
Performance innovation and athletic trainer, 15+ years
Performance innovation and athletic trainer, 20+ years
Professor and soccer analytics consultant, 2+ years
Professor and sports psychology consultant, 15+ years
Professor and team leader, 2+ years
Soccer performance and analytics consultant, 15+ years
Sports performance consultant, 15+ years
My primary literature sources are the following: The Numbers Game: Why Everything You
Know About Soccer Is Wrong; Sports Analytics: A Guide For Coaches, Managers, and Other
Decision Makers; andThe Handbook of Soccer Match Analysis (also featured: Moneyball; and The
Signal and the Noise). While there are a myriad of other essential books to further understand the
industry, these were the several I chose to aid in my analysis. Online sources were primarily used for
more specific areas of interest that required more depth. As previously mentioned, I also attended
the 2013 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, and I will be incorporating video and notes from
the event. Lastly, my personal experiences during my internships and general discussions with
sports professionals will round out all of my sources and methods of research.


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Industry Overview
Sports Science, Analytics, and Technology
My passion lies at the intersection of sports technology and analytics an industry
commonly synonymous with (or heavily related to) the popular term sports science. Before
delving into an industry analysis, it is essential to understand several critical introductory ideas and
terms, including the following: what is data analytics? what is sports science? and how does
technology relate to each?
Analytics can be defined simply: the discovery and communication of meaningful patterns
in data (Analytics). Businesses harvest massive amounts of information and use statistics, data
management, data visualization, and several other fields to assess and view the data in meaningful
ways to simplify and reduce risk in the decision-making process (Alamar 1). When looking through
the sports frame, the idea is the same, although Benjamin Alamar defines it slightly differently,
stating that sports analytics is the management of structured historical data, the application of
predictive analytic models that utilize that data, and the use of information systems to inform
decision makers and enable them to help their organizations in gaining a competitive advantage on
the field of play. While businesses use analytics to increase their competitive edge in the
marketplace, teams not only use analytics to gain that same competitive edge but also to succeed on
the field. Elite teams such as Englands Chelsea FC, for instance, have accumulated roughly 32
million data points from something like 12,000 or 13,000 games (Anderson, Sally 6). In sum, the

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ability to understand data, work with data, and think analytically about sports that is what created
this field of sports analytics (Alamar ix).
Sports science is slightly different although equally as important. It is a discipline that
studies the application of scientific principles and techniques with the aim of improving sporting
performance (Sports science). Sports science is more biologically-related than sports analytics,
including elements of physiology, biomechanics, and even psychology, yet this definition is
relatively loose and depends on who is providing it. Often times, sports science is all-inclusive,
including all forms of analyzing sports performance; throughout this paper, this is how I will define
sports science, unless otherwise noted. Sports science has become a more buzzworthy and
mainstream term as evidenced by the ESPN television show Sport Science which takes a look at the
scientific elements of modern sports marvels, such the analytics of saving a penalty kick or delving
into Marshawn Lynchs Beast Mode run.
Technologys role in analytics and sports science is constantly evolving and integrating itself
into the sports world soccer included. From consumer-facing products (e.g. adidas miCoach
Speedcell) to technologies that influence the way the game is played (e.g. goal-line technology
Germanys GoalControl GmbH, which will be used in Brazil for the 2014 World Cup) to
technologies that allow for data collection and analysis (e.g. SportVU, Prozone3), technologys
impact on the beautiful game cannot be ignored (FIFA). When it comes to sport sciences, these are
the rapidly-advancing products that enable the back-end analytics to happen. Companies like

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Prozone/AMISCO, STATS, and Match Analysis are spending millions to ensure that their camera
and tracking technologies and analytics programs are top-notch and allow for teams to maximize
player performance on the pitch.
Despite the relatively clear idea of what sports science is and how technology and analytics
influence the game, the industry itself still lacks definition and clarity. As described by one analyst:
an industry in the making, comprised of a number of people information, handling, collecting,
disseminating, communicating, and implementing information. Another: it is a situation where
there are a number of domains that can be very beneficial to sporting performance and
entertainment, but we struggle with A) trying to figure out how to use them to deliver meaning,
and B) how to integrate them. A third leader in the industry definitively states that, in our sport, it
is a burgeoning and useful way to look at the game, and that it adds objectivity to an extremely
subjective sport. Ultimately, all of these are true yet partial definitions of an evolving industry in
which the rules have yet to be established in their entirety.
Industry History and Transition
Everyone credits the analytics revolution to the Bill James, the baseball statistician who is
widely considered one of the most influential men in baseball and sports history and perhaps
rightfully so. From 1977 onwards, James published articles and an annual book titled The Bill James
Baseball Abstract, redefining baseball analytics as a whole (Bill James). James fathered sabermetrics
in baseball, and his ideas have reverberated for decades, most notably with Billy Beane and the 2003

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Oakland Athletics the epic story of Moneyball and how the As won the most games in the MLB
that year in spite of having one of the lowest cumulative team salaries. However, despite his
brilliant work, he is not the first person behind sports analytics.
The first analyst in soccer, at least was Wing Commander Charles Reep. After a military
career in the early 20
th
century, Reep combined his interests in accountancy and soccer to become
the first soccer analyst: the Soccer Accountant. The continuous action of a game is broken down
into a series of discrete on-the-ball events, such as a pass, center, or shot, precisely how he recorded
a games events with his notational analysis system. In total, Reep analyzed and recorded over 2,200
games, devoting about eighty hours to each. While Reeps decades of conclusions were not
necessarily the most accurate or valid (e.g., long balls aka efficiency is the best way to score and
win), his work prefaced the start of a new science and industry (Anderson, Sally 16). Until the
technological revolution and movement towards motion analysis, soccer data analysis primarily
relied on visual identifications and notational analysis, as exhibited below.

Sample of notational analysis (Carling 4)
The industry truly emerged in soccer in the late 1990s with the arrival of Opta Sports. The
company compiled an index of player performance in soccer as a means to get the brand into the

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public eye, yet it soon realized the vast worth of such a legion of performance data to both the
media and, eventually, clubs (Anderson, Sally 10). As the industry progressed and the technology
used to capture game footage and record/analyze data became more intricate, other firms leaped
into the cauldron: Prozone, Catapult, AMISCO, STATS LLC, Match Analysis, StatDNA, and others
now compete (or collaborate) to continually advance sports analytics and provide clients with a
competitive advantage. The goal of this billion dollar industry: to maximize on-field performance of
soccer players in every way possible player and team performance optimization.
In the modern game, there has been a transition from gut-instinct and tradition to one of
objective measurement and data analysis to support decision-making, not be the decision-making
tool (this must be clearly established: analytics and science only aid in the process as a means to an
end; they are not the ends themselves). Formerly, managers didnt buy into the modern way of
thinking; many still dont. Whether it is because of skepticism, fear, or simply because stats cant
measure the size of a players heart, there are still counters of this movement (Anderson, Sally 14).
Yet others such as Evertons Roberto Martinez or decision-makers as FC Kln or Sunderland
believe wholeheartedly in the opportunities that technology and analytics provide. Across the
board, managers and teams are largely using analytics for the same purposes technical, tactical,
and behavioral analysis and theyre doing it pre-game, in-game, and post-game, using the
information to better plan and prepare for future matches. The coaching cycles six steps

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(performance, observation, analysis, interpretation, planning, and preparation) demonstrate the
recurring pattern of analytical assessment in sport.

The coaching cycle (Carling 10)
At the 2013 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, Chris Anderson asked an interesting
question: is the sports analytics glass half empty or is it half full? Several key elements suggest that
its half full: decreasing cost of data, increasing accessibility of data, developments of fan-oriented
data, and the exponential growth of sports analytics blogs across the blogosphere. Yet despite these
vast improvements and the apparent upward trend of sports analytics, the industry is still
unformed. As another interviewee stated:
Its accelerating towards a peak on the hype cycle becoming a very buzzworthy term with
lots of marketing and traction around it. Look at Chip Kellys Mystery Man [the former
Oregon coach utilizes analytics and technology with the Eagles, and he was responsible for
the NFLs first-ever sports-science coordinator (Vrentas)] their first ever head of sports
OBSERVATION

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science, looking at data to improve performance. Eventually the hype is going to peak and
fall off a little bit. Theres also a level of incompetence concerning how to use the data; its
such a new field, people dont know how to interact with it yet. Hype plus inexperience
equals a really interesting time for innovation. Many people are putting a lot of energy into
this, leading to new, brilliant, innovative thoughts. At the same time, though, many people
will abandon it until its more usable.
Since Reep, the industry has evolved and adapted and continues to grow at an exponential rate yet
it is still a relatively young concept in a sport deep-rooted in tradition and subjectivity. Further,
theres little impetus for many managers to convert to an analytics approach. Whereas the average
NBA manager serves for about three years, the average EPL (English Premier League) manager is
only around for 1.7 years, and 79% of all managers on the elite level will manage less than 75 games
in their career (SSAC Soccer Analytics). Given the short-term winning orientation, how do
managers take a leap of faith towards a new winning approach when their careers and relegation
are at stake? Currently, the sports analytics industry is at a pivotal stage, and its our job as analysts
to ensure that its burgeoning success continues. In order to do so, Prozones Blake Wooster argues
that we use data to win, and unless we can demonstrate value in relation to winningwere failing,
really (SSAC Soccer Analytics).
Despite these obstacles, more teams in the modern game are continuing to adopt analytics as
a new approach for success sometimes a managerial decision, other times from ownership, yet

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virtually always a top-down decision considering the uncertainty and the necessary investment. The
depth of the technology and analytics utilized at each club varies tremendously, but three things
remain relatively constant for those who have successfully made the plunge: they perceive it as an
investment, theyve created a plan, and they perceive the true value and opportunity available.
Analytics are helping players become better athletes, manager win more games, and owners cut
better deals (SSAC Soccer Analytics), and there are numbers and case studies to validate that.
The Other 50%
The preface of my title, The Other 50%, owes largely to The Numbers Game. Simplified, the
concept is that soccer is a very unpredictable game that can really be decided by a coin toss on any
given day. Goals and results often come down to chance or sheer luck, not necessarily decided
entirely by the physical, technical, and tactical abilities of players and teams .Several statistics that
validate this idea are featured here:
The success rate of a pregame favorite to win is merely just over 50%.

(Anderson 53)

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The underdog is likely to win approximately 45.2% of the time (sample size: 43,000+
games). This was the lowest amongst all major sports, with strong favorites likely to win
only 65% of the time (Anderson 57).
Soccer, by far, has the largest betting spreads of any major sport.

(Anderson 54)
The team that shoots more only wins the game between 45-49% of the time (sample size:
8,232 matches across four major leagues). 50-58% for more shots on target.

(Anderson 63)

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Approximately 44.4% of goals are attributed to some bit of fortune in the final build-up play
or the shot itself (sample size: 2,500+ goals) (Anderson 62).
There are more statistics and relevant points to make here supporting this idea that soccer more
than any other sport is random and a fifty-fifty game, but my thesis does not pertain to this idea in
full. Instead, assuming that 50% of soccer is based strictly on luck and fortune, my aim is to examine
and analyze the market that enables teams to improve the elements of soccer that are within their
control. That other 50% is up for grabs for each team, and, utilizing technology and analytics, teams
can maximize their control, eliminate fortunes hand, and earn all-important victories on and off the
pitch (Anderson).
In Sports
While my thesis is concerned with technology and analytics and their roles in soccer, I
believe that it is essential to at least briefly mention their roles and progression throughout other
major sports of interest, including the following: baseball, basketball, American football, and rugby.
The general consensus is that soccer is near the bottom of this list in regards to its relative sports
science integration, yet the past decade has seen a surge for the beautiful games analytical
perspective. Of these sports, baseball is widely-regarded as the most analytically-oriented sport
especially considering the one-on-one elements followed by basketball, yet the rest is very
subjective and depends on which elements of analytics and technology to which we refer. Most
sports utilize technology and analytics across the board both on the business and performance

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ends ranging from scouting to player development to ticket sales to revenue generation. Across all
sports, however, there still exists problems with making data actionable identifying how to
accurately and effectively utilize the data.
Baseball: As briefly discussed, sabermetrics is widely considered to be one of the first official
uses of analytics in major sports. Sabermetrics is the term for the empirical analysis of
baseball, especially baseball statistics that measure in-game activity, and the term itself
comes from SABR, the Society for American Baseball Research (Sabermetrics). Unique
statistics such as WAR (wins above replacement), win shares, and runs created are all
evidence of the analytical elements of baseball. More than other sports, baseballs reliance on
metrics has enabled its growth in the analytics space. Technology has also enabled further
progression into the analytics space. A primary analytics company in baseball, SportVision,
created PITCHf/x a tool that allows for the tracking and analysis of virtually every
element of a pitch (since then, the company has also introduced other products, such as
HITf/x). Pitchf/x made its MLB debut in the 2005 World Series, and it has enhanced the
viewing experience while also gathering mounds of data on almost a million pitches
throughout a regular season (Braley). SportVisions Fieldf/x, however, is at risk against a
brand-new, yet-to-be-named MLB Advanced Media technology that does a superior job of
identifying and measuring defensive performance, as exhibited below (Budway).

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Likewise, in 2008, MLB sanctioned the use of instant replay on home run calls and is further
expanding its use this season and beyond. Overall, baseball is on the forefront of
incorporating technology and analytics into the game both on the consumer and backend
sides of the sport.
Basketball: Basketball is fascinating to me because of its similarities to soccer and ability to
effectively utilize technologies and analytics to create advanced metrics and ways to measure
performance. For years, the most basic of statistics were the only ways to measure a players
on-court production: field goals made/attempted, assists, rebounds, etc. Most of these
metrics lack substantial value; to counteract this, ESPNs John Hollinger created the Player
Efficiency Rating (PER). PER is a rating of a players per-minute productivity, and while it
was once foreign to the league, its now widely embraced as one of the better ways to
measure player value and production (Hollinger). Similarly, Grantland article Databall
introduces a new metric: expected possession value (EPV). For example:

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Imagine LeBron James holding the basketball completely unguarded underneath the
basket. We would expect him to score two points. The EPV at that moment would
be very close to two. Conversely, imagine Dwight Howard holding the ball 40 feet
from the hoop with one second remaining on the shot clock and three defenders in
his face. Its highly unlikely that Howard would score. That moment would be
ascribed an EPV very close to zero (Goldsberry).
With the new league-wide deal between the NBA and STATS LLC, the league now has
access to the companys product, SportVU sets of cameras that track every movement and
action on the court. The graphics below demonstrate some of the technological powers of
SportVUs data visualizations, enabling teams to understand player performance on both the
technical and physiological sides of the game. SportVU identified that in 2012, for instance,
Kevin Durant earned a rebound 73% of the time while he was in rebound range, a league
best (XY Panel, SSAC).


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When combined with physiological tracking chips (e.g. heart rate, accelerometers, etc.), this
allows for massive amounts of data collection and analysis. Like with other available
technologies ranging from different sports, SportVU also allows for incredible consumer-
facing transparency.
American Football: For a long time, performance analytics have dominated football yet
never through a direct route, and thats evident considering footballs relatively lacking
position in sports science. Quality control coaches have been commonplace in football for
years, their job being to analyze game footage of upcoming opponents and relay information
to the head coach and coaching staff. However, even today, some NFL teams including the
St. Louis Rams do not have sports scientists or performance analysts, and some only have
analysts focusing on the salary cap element and other topics to a minute degree. While the
Eagles are credited with the first sports scientist, other teams have long used sports analytics
as early as 2001 with the 49ers. For the most part, it appears that football analytics
centralizes around talent evaluation and strategic decision-making. Examples: Jim Harbaugh
and his analytics focus took a 6-10 49ers to the NFC Championship in one year and a Super
Bowl in two, and the New England Patriots have excelled at drafting and signing
unconventional players such as Julian Edelman, Danny Woodhead, and Wes Welker (SSAC
Football Analytics). Other hot topics in football are related to the significance and
practicality of the NFL Combine and play calling (e.g. going for it on 4
th
down or two-point
conversions). Most technological advancements in football surprisingly focus on what the

24
players themselves wear. Concussion and sub-concussive hits are becoming major issues and
factors into the sport as a whole, prompting amazing progressions in the equipment being
used by athletes to protect the brain. Similarly, another unique advancement is in the actual
uniforms, such as the Nike uniforms below, making them lighter, more liquid-resistant, and
more breathable.

Lastly, in-game audio technology generated new opportunities for fans to experience the
game and feel stronger connections to teams and players (Leap).
Others: Team tracking systems largely surfaced in Australia with both rugby and Australian
rules football and have since expanded to Europe and America, the former being the current
dominant market. Further, like with football and hockey, both rugby and rules football have
experienced concussion issues, accelerating the movement towards technology aimed at
protecting players heads (Australians assessing).

25
In Business
I will focus less on the business technology and analytics that facilitate success from the off-
field and business standpoints, although their uses are immensely important to teams, leagues, and
external organizations. These innovations are enabling teams to increase their revenue streams,
appeal to and satisfy fans, and enable organizations to be more efficient across the board. External
organizations and end consumers are also maximizing the value of analytics in sports through
gambling, fantasy sports, and a variety of other opportunities.
Front Office Decision-Making: While there are a myriad of utilizations of analytics across
the business side of sports, one of the more interesting and discussed is that of player
scouting: talent evaluation and identification. Teams across virtually all sports are using
analytics to assess talent and find diamonds in the rough (e.g. Swansea Citys acquisition of
Michu for a mere 2M and he proceeded to be one of the English Premier Leagues top
goal scorers by the end of the season with 18), identifying the most important metrics to
predict current and future value. This is the information that general managers utilize to
make trades, choose and sign draft picks, and so on. However, talent identification programs
(talent ID) are also prevalent on the youth level throughout major sports countries (notably
England and Australia) as they attempt to uncover homegrown talent (Vaeyens). Further, as
discussed at the 2013 SSAC, one of the major and elementary purposes of analytics in

26
major sports organizations (namely basketball and football) is how to most effectively
distribute salaries: the salary cap.
Sports Betting: The sports betting industry is enormous: each year, illegal wages alone
consist of approximately $380 billion (yes, billion) dollars (Sports Wagering). Companies
such as CantorGaming continue to pioneer this space, creating databases and models that
reduce uncertainty in gambling by analyzing statistical data (Predictive Sports Betting). Like
performance analysis, this was once a very subjective industry, yet pattern recognition,
predictive modeling, and a further quantification of sports has made this industry a
quantitative, objective game yet still a gamble altogether.
Revenue Generation: Ticket sales, media, and sponsorship deals are critical to revenue
generation and all of which rely heavily on analytics. Dynamic ticket pricing a system in
which ticket prices vary per game reflect real-time pricing based on expected supply and
demand is implemented amongst teams (such as the Phoenix Suns) as a means to boost
revenue maximization, maintain more real-time pricing, and simplify logistical processes
(Rishe). CRM systems, which burgeoned in sports in the early part of the century, are
further enabling teams to better understand and reach their target market segments.
Similarly, any media and/or sponsorship contracts are all carefully scrutinized by calculating
the true return-on-investment for each property involved. Companies such as Navigate
Research, for instance, examine a companys ROI on a given sponsorship based on

27
consumer awareness, purchase intentions, emotions, and so forth; while these analytical
models are challenging to objectify entirely, their sophistication continues to grow.
Fan Experience: Technology continues to
enable fans to get closer to the game via brand
activations in spite of the reduced fan/player
physical interaction of the 21
st
century. For
instance, a German company installed a
Twitter Wall in FC Schalkes locker room
so the players could read motivational tweets
directed to them by fans (Wiltshire). Further,
the in-stadium experience continues to be
improved by teams, counteracting the trend of viewers opting towards the less-expensive
route of watching from home. The 49ers are one of the teams ahead of the game in this
respect as theyve developed a mobile application that enables fans to monitor beer lines and
watch instant replays from their phones all while in the stadium (Boebel). With improved
Wi-Fi infrastructures throughout modern stadiums, this is an enormous push towards more
technology-friendly sports.
Academia: Sports analytics and technologies continue to adapt and evolve in the
marketplace, yet new ideas and innovations derive from higher education and research.
Sports science previously was an unimportant term to universities, and now there are

28
hundreds of undergraduate, masters, and doctorate programs available for students
passionate about the field, not including the other burgeoning degrees available in data
analytics, big data, and so forth. My limited industry interactions have fostered connections
with sports-science-driven professors from Cornell, MIT, and the Norwegian School of
Sport Sciences, and the impact of these researchers on the technologies and analytics of this
space will continue to influence the industry.


29
Technology and Analytics in Soccer Performance
More than most sports, soccer is extremely subjective. While the outcomes are concrete
wins, draws, and losses objectively evaluating player and team performance is extremely
challenging. In contrast to baseball, in which the game is largely one on one performance, soccer is
fluid and always moving, teams are never truly in possession, and goals are so few (roughly 2.66 per
game on the professional level) that identifying correlations is an arduous, uncertain task. As
discussed, elite soccer results are largely based on luck, chance, and error, but there is, of course,
massive room for teams to improve and differentiate themselves across physical, technical, and
tactical areas of play and teams are constantly fighting to do so. After all, in the modern game,
clubs don't just want a competitive advantage, they need it (Medeiros).
These next sections offer a comprehensive analysis of the roles of technology and analytics
across three core areas of football: technical and tactical, physiological, and neuroscientific
performance. Using industry expert insights, critical data and graphics, and key examples, I hope to
provide a holistic view of the industry differently than what is currently available. Ultimately, the
purpose of these tools and methods is simple: add objectivity to soccer for coaches to better prepare
teams, or simply put, win.


30
Technical Abilities and Tactics
Technical and tactical analyses are very different elements of performance. The technical
side is concerning the quality of the soccer player: ball control, shooting, dribbling, tackling, and so
forth. Players such as Andres Iniesta and Andrea Pirlo dont overwhelm with size or speed or
strength; instead, each players absolutely dominant soccer skill allows them to compete at the
highest levels in spite of their lack of physical attributes. Conversely, tactics are the teams overall
style of play how the eleven on the field will effectively defeat the opposing eleven. It is the head
coachs job to not only train and prepare players for games but also make tactical decisions such as
team formation, passing style, conservativeness, and so forth. As American football coach Knute
Rockne once stated, As a coach, I play not my eleven best, but my best eleven, suggesting that the
most talented or physically overpowering players arent always the ideal choice based on a teams
tactics. When examining player and team performance, whether it be from the physiological,
technical, or tactical side of the game, we can look to several different analyses: player vs. team
(individual, head-to-head, team unit [e.g. midfielders], team); time (different periods of a game,
across games, throughout seasons); and match type (training, friendly, competitive) (Carling 61).
Further, data can be represented in charts, graphs, spatially (on the pitch), or with data
visualizations. As is the case with any analysis, the data is virtually limitless its just a matter of
how its utilized.

31
Before delving into the data analysis space, it is critical to understand the data collection
process. Generally with technical and tactical performance, data is either collected via manual
notational analysis, tracking monitors, or video and computerized match analysis technologies.
Notational analysis, in a nutshell, consists of monitoring and manually tracking/notating
information as needed, as illustrated with the example below. Notational analysis is still very
prevalent, especially within clubs that have yet to adopt technology and more advanced analytics.

Notational analysis tally sheet to identify successful/unsuccessful match actions (Carling 20)
Tracking monitor systems are more critical and telling for the physiological elements of soccer, yet
they can be valuable for technical and tactical purposes as well (such as identifying patterns,
connecting players, and generating heat maps) when analyzing player positioning. Like the adidas
miCoach or the system from German company Cairos AG, the microchip transmitters are used on
player jerseys and/or cleats and can even be used on the balls to determine three-dimensional
positioning up to 200 times per second, with a range of mere centimeters (Carling 42). Generally,
these chips are equipped with GPS and/or accelerometer capabilities, yet new technologies such as
RFID (radio frequency identification) chips are now emerging in the sports arena as well. However,

32
tracking chips have several drawbacks, including the following: 1. Installation is expensive, 2. Chips
are generally fragile and/or cannot endure heavy contact, 3. Battery life can be low, and 4. Some
governing regulations prevent micro transmitters (exemptions being the MLS, Brazil, Norway,
etc.). Lastly, the most prominent tools for currently analyzing the technical and tactical sides of the
game are video-based match analysis technologies, such as those used by Prozone and AMISCO
(recently merged), Opta Sports, and Match Analysis, among many others.

Sport Direct video analysis software (Carling 34)


33
Prozones Prozone3 product (Prozone)
In essence, these video-based player tracking systems which are comprised of multiple permanent,
highly-calibrated cameras throughout an arena use advanced mathematical algorithms and video
processing to identify player positioning and movement at literally every second of the game. As of
the mid-2000s, the AMISCO system analyzed movements ten to twenty-five times a second during
the whole 90 minutescontaining around 4.5 million positions as well as 2,500 ball touches
(Carling 39). Simplified, video-based analysis identifies what [the players] are doing and how
theyre doing it (Interview). These systems track everything from the interactions between player
and ball, average velocity of passes, direction of most runs, average shape of the team, and so on.
However, there are several disadvantages of video analysis, yet they havent necessarily stopped
clubs from using it. First, unless your opponent has the same technology from the same company,
or perhaps there is an arrangement to share data, you will not be able to collect away game data
since it requires permanent set-up. Also, for the most part, data is not available until post-game,
except for smaller details although clubs seem okay with this. Lastly, video-based systems are
generally only used during games, so critical data from training sessions is not collected (explaining
why the MLS partners with both adidas [for the tracking chips] and Match Analysis [for video
analysis]). Despite the drawbacks, video analysis has a myriad of huge benefits, especially
concerning technical and tactical analysis, whereas tracking chips cannot assess technical ability,
awareness, or any finer, more subjective elements of the game. Many managers, notably Evertons

34
Roberto Martinez, thrive by watching game footage side-by-side with data analysis, as is offered by
many video-based companies. Another unique offering is from US firm Match Analysis, which,
unlike most other competitor products, offers a panoramic video. The K2 Panoramic Video displays
end-to-end video of a game, displaying the entire field at once (see the picture below).

When assessing player technical ability and a teams tactics, there are a variety of metrics
available, and although the universal and prevalent metrics are sometimes not as telling as others,
new metrics are continuously being added to teams repertoires. On the offensive end of football,
teams do their best to assess and analyze specific elements, including the following: playing style and
team shape, attempts on goal, entries into the attacking third, build-up play, free kicks, corners,
crosses, one-on-ones, support play, and space created. Conversely, there are also unique actions that
analytics attempt to identify on the defensive end: playing style and team shape, free kicks, corners,
goalkeeping, tackles, one-on-ones, support play, and closing space (Carling 74). Some, such as shots
and team possession, are easy to identify and interpret, as demonstrated by the graphic below.

35

Team possession and shots analysis throughout a game (Carling 69)
On the other hand, some of these actions are ultra-challenging to measure, namely concerning both
movement and defense. Prozones Blake Wooster explains the challenge in analyzing these pieces of
game intelligence:
What does the center midfielder do, just because he doesnt register a stat, his subtle
movement to actually stop a transition. The center back that never gets himself into a
position that he has to do a sliding tacklethat stat, that event never occurred. The
goalkeeper that didnt make that last ditch save because his starting position was such that
he was able to prevent that shot from ever taking place (SSAC Soccer Analytics).
It is extremely challenging to identify what the most crucial metrics are in assessing quality. Of
course, scoring the most or having the most clean sheets doesnt point to a specific player being the
best because there are so many other variables that teams havent quite assessed or analyzed. The
simple piece is collecting the data, like a players movement throughout a match; the complex
element is determining what it means.

36

Player movement via data tracking (Carling 72)
Despite these difficulties, there are certainly key performance indicators available that give
us a general sense of quality and overall ability yet their uses are still limited. In 2012, Manchester
City FC released a years worth of Opta data, allowing the general public to have an analytics field-
day, and some of the results are worth sharing. For example, one user charted the top ten English
Premier League strikers based on 1. Time efficiency, and 2. Conversion rates.

On the left, these strikers produce the lowest minutes per goal, scoring more efficiently while on the
field. Conversely, the strikers on the right (already reduced to the top ten shooters by volume) are
measured by their goals to shots ratio. Which is better? Answer: it just depends. To make the

37
depends answer more clear, using the same source, there is a data visualization showing catches by
goalkeepers (right). Is Wayne Hennessey better than Petr Cech, Michael Vorm, or David De Gea
because he made more catches (and more saves)?
Not at all; as a matter of fact, he had to make 169
saves compared to 84, 136, and 102, respectively
so he was just arguably busier because of poor
defending, perhaps due to a lack of holdup play
from the strikers, both, or something else entirely.
While the KPIs are extremely valuable in assessing
and comparing players, they generally mean little
without further validation and understanding of what all is happening (MCFC).
Ive collected and noted several interesting case studies involving the use of technical and
tactical data, including Stoke City, Santi Cazorla, and home/away tactics:
Stoke City: As noted in The Numbers Game, teams such as Stoke City have largely
abandoned the idea of tiki-taka, beautiful football that Barcelona and Spain often dazzle with
in exchange for a style of efficiency: long throws, corner kicks, and so on. Why? Theyve
used analytics to build teams that are less technically dominant yet fulfill niche roles at a
fraction of the cost. Looking at the numbers, theyre a statistical anomaly; whereas the
average side scores two of every three goals from open play (i.e. not a penalty, corner, free

38
kick, etc.), Stoke scores only half from open play. Only about one in ten possessions for the
team consists of more than three passes, and only four percent have seven or more
completions. They consistently lead the league in long throw-ins (550 in 2012), and the time
that the ball is in play and moving during a Stoke game can be as low as 45 minutes or so.
Stokes secret lies in its tactics due to the teams general lack of technical ability. First, the
team revels in not having possession because possession does no good for such a poor
passing team; instead, it relies on the long ball and set pieces to steal goals and wins. To add
to that, the team ensures the opposition has fewer chances to score by having the ball in play
as little as possible; by keeping the ball out of play or at set pieces, the team starves the
opposition of possession. All in all, as former manager Bob Paisley once stated, Its not
about the long ball or the short ball, its about the right ball (Anderson 175).
Santi Cazorla: Current sports scientist and performance analyst for Seattle Sounders FC,
Ravi Ramineni, operates a blog: onfooty.com. Using Opta data, Ramineni analyzed the
impact of Santi Cazorla on his former club, Villareal, and what to expect going forward with
his new club, Arsenal, based on team KPIs across two years. Overall, the teams performance
dipped substantially without him from 2010/2011-2011/2012, averaging .49 less points per
game on .32 fewer goals per game. Conversely, his then-new team, Malaga, surged to a
fourth place finish in La Liga, securing its first Champions League berth. Further, lower-
level statistics dropped off: shots (5.4 4.6), successful dribbles (4.62 3.50) and pass
percentage in the final third (72.76 69.59), and ball recoveries in the final third (3.13

39
1.79) were all statistically significant and lower, suggesting Cazorlas substantial impact on
the teams attack. Likewise, Santis heat/movement map across both years suggests his
dynamism and ability to play a variety of roles in the midfield and attack.

While there are a myriad of additional variables to consider with each statistic, their
aggregation including his other findings suggest that Cazorla had a substantial impact on
the teams most important key performance indicators as well as lower-level stats
(Ramineni). By performing analyses both with/without Cazorla across years and within
years, this analysis gives a perspective of what value he adds to the team a key resource in
assessing a players performance and overall quality.
Home and Away Tactics: Team formations and tactics have evolved substantially over the
past several decades; as early as the late 19
th
century, teams were documented using radical
formations such as a 1-2-7, but the modern game is largely dominated by the 4-4-2, 4-3-3,
4-5-1, 3-5-2, and etc. In turn with the normalization of playing formations, teams have
apparently also adopted a universal similar strategy: win at home, draw away. Recent
research by Disney Research identified that this was indeed the case using automatic

40
formation analysis (while video-based systems have identified individual players, they
previously were not capable of automatically recognizing a specific playing formation).

As can be seen with the data on the above, points, goals, shots on target, and final third
possession time were all statistically significant and reduced away from home. The visual on
the right also shows that team aggregate position while consistent on the vertical axis
was farther from the opponents goal on the horizontal axis, suggesting that teams sucked in
and played more defensively away from home. In general, teams played the same formation
both at home and away, meaning that the tactics of each formation were different. Using
this type of post-match automatic formation analysis, teams can better prepare for away
games and perhaps alter their tactics to reflect the more positive, threatening approach that
they utilize at home (Automatic Formation).
Interesting and unsurprisingly, leagues are also particularly interested in the tactical data of
teams, namely in regards to tendencies and overall entertainment value provided. For instance, the

41
MLS has the Attacking Index which measures shot position and how a player got into that specific
position prior to shot. Another telling gauge is the Entertainment Index, a dynamic formula to
measure shot quality and match variation. Leagues are consistently measuring clubs against each
other while simultaneously gauging domestic versus international performances. These indices,
among others, are continually recalibrated to ensure that the right metrics are being measured,
ultimately helping smaller leagues like the MLS understand how to compete based on both quality
and consumer value and entertainment.
Ultimately, analytics and technology are continuing to pave successful roads for soccer
teams, creating a competitive advantage that was previously unavailable. Teams have the data, and
now the challenge is to analyze it and produce meaningful results. In terms of the technical and
tactical pieces, football analytics is a discipline in which the way a team plays dictates which
statistics are significant. The challenge is to find out which (Medeiros).


42
Physiology
Physiology is the scientific study of function of living organisms. To tailor this more
appropriately, sports physiology can be defined as an aspect of performance science concerned with
the assessment of how the body responds to single or repeated bouts of exercise (Physiology).
Unlike the tactical and technical side of performance, physiology is very consistent across sports,
and although there are different means of preparation, physical training, and injury prevention,
analytical tools and technologies used for measuring human performance are largely universal. In
this section, I will focus on several core areas of soccer-related physiology and how technology and
analytics are impacting the way we prepare, replenish, and recover athletes in three areas: training;
health, injury, and recovery; and nutrition.
The physiological performance industry is massive in scope, ranging from simple heart rate
monitors to advanced tools for urine testing to muscle biopsies. There are hundreds of ways that
teams are attempting to get the slightest competitive advantage, ensuring that its players are always
at their peak physical performance levels. Of course, the industry also has two unique markets:
general end users and elite athletes/teams. I will not focus on the general consumers you and me,
the ones purchasing a Garmin watch to track our mileage and times yet there are several
interesting elements about this market. The adidas miCoach, for instance, is both an individual
consumer product (with limited capabilities at a substantially reduced price point) and an elite team
tracking system used by all of the teams in the MLS to gauge more advanced real-time metrics such

43
as power and field position. Similarly, a competitor such as Nike uses its market power to
commercialize products like the Fuel Band rather than focus on elite use, yet it also produces
equipment-related products at both elite and basic levels.
Like with the technical and tactical sides of soccer, there are a variety of means to measure
physiological data in training and games. Video-based technologies and data tracking sensors (used
on jerseys or in cleats) are the primary tools being used to measure movement and the physical
elements of the game. On the video analysis side of soccer, pioneering firms such as
Prozone/AMISCO, Opta Sports, StatDNA, Apollo MIS, and Match Analysis are innovating and
dominating the market. Meanwhile, firms such as adidas, Catapult, GPSports, Inmotio Cairos AG
are market leaders in the team tracking systems market. Tracking devices generally use
accelerometer
(measures rates of
acceleration, translates
into force) and/or GPS
(positioning)
technologies, yet they
can also use
gyroscopes (measures
angular velocity, multiaxis movement) and magnetometers (measures direction). Whereas the

44
video-based systems can measure information such as distance, speed, and acceleration, tracking
chips offer more physiologically-oriented metrics. For example, the adidas miCoach (displayed
above), which is largely used in the MLS, not only measures simple metrics like distance and speed
but also measures heart rate, power output, and work response, and the data visualizations allow
easy interpretation and dissemination of information. Others, such as Catapult, focus on injury,
performance, and tactical analysis with its GPS tracking systems. Using advanced hardware and
software systems, these companies manage virtually all measurable metrics and offer personalized
feedback and training recommendations.
When discussing physiology in training and in-game performance, the general metrics are
simple and relate to work-rate, such as speed, distance covered, acceleration, and so on. The two
charts below, total distance covered and percentage of time moving at various paces, reflect a
standard of physical assessment in the football world.

Analysis of total distance covered by players (Carlson 67), percentage of time moving at various
paces (Carlson 91)

45
However, at the most elite levels, virtually all players are extremely fit and can run endlessly; with
general measurements like these, their significance is more vital as you move to lower levels of
professional soccer as well as the implications across positions in relation to technical play (e.g.
forwards receive the ball more frequently on sprints, midfielders turn and cut more frequently on
the ball). Key performance indicators also vary more greatly across positions as midfielders
generally run at least 10% more than their defensive counterparts. To supplement these general
KPIs, there are a variety of unique means to attain telling metrics that are emerging to become more
substantial in gauging physiological performance, such as the following: functional movement
screen, physical therapy assessment, metabolic response, strength testing, linear and lateral
movement skills, and training loads. The graphs below, for instance, display the physiological
responses (energy cost, blood lactate) when running with and without the ball at various speeds,
suggesting the benefits of using the ball in drills when possible (Carling 93).


46
Further, as discussed in the Handbook of Soccer Match Analysis, work-rate is influenced by several
factors: positional role (goalkeeper, defense, midfield, forward), playing style (possession, direct,
counter-attacking, etc.), overall fatigue, and the environment (weather, altitude, location).
A vast variety of other unique tools and tests exist in the marketplace to gauge fitness,
measure readiness, and prepare elite athletes for desired work-rates. Tensiomyography, or TMG,
was a unique topic of discussion in one interview: an immediate and noninvasive technological
procedure that essentially diagnoses muscle status, type, and symmetry. TMG has a variety of
purposes, including injuries prevention and detection, rehab, speed development, sport training
optimization, and fatigue index (Tensiomyography). Relating back to injury prevention and
detection, TMG can assess whether a muscle is fully rehabilitated; contrary to what an athlete may
want to believe, the procedure can identify that a specific muscle is still not ready for contact or
intense movement. Another test is the urine specific gravity (USG) test which helps determine
hydration levels. Hydration has one of the highest correlations to soccer performance, yet during an
interview, a source cited that a major clients team was largely dehydrated during training and
games USG testing enabled the consultants to identify that as a major issue. Another measure,
briefly noted above, is blood lactate, which is used to indicate anaerobic glycolysis the
breakdown of glycogen for energy. While most of a soccer match uses aerobic energy (in the form
of running and jogging), some sprints and high-exertion actions will require high anaerobic output
(Carling 101). Lastly, and arguably one of the most significant measures of game fitness, is the V02

47
max test. V02 max measures the maximum rate of oxygen consumption as measured during
incremental exercise, which helps to determine cardiovascular endurance during long, sub-
maximum level exercises such as a soccer match (V02 Max).
Ensuring that athletes are healthy, actively on the pitch, and not injured is one of the most
substantial investments that clubs make. There are several influences factors that lead to player
injury: player factors (previous injuries, strength, technical skills, etc.), load (season planning,
training dose, recovery and rest, and number of matches), and club factors (playing tactics, club
philosophy, medical services, etc.) (Ekstrand). When assessing the injury economics of soccer, the
following was identified: 2.7 injuries/player/season; 14.7 absent days/injury; 39.6 absent
days/player/season; and 54 injuries/squad/season. For a top ten team in the English Premier
League, just one prevented injury can save a team approximately 80-450 thousand pounds
(Norman). According to another study by Ekstrand, for a team of 25 players, there are
approximately 50 injuries per season with 8-9 being severe (see severe injury chart below).


48
Simply put: teams are willing to invest substantial amounts of money to maintain player health and
prevent injury (note: injury prediction is sometimes referred to and studied in soccer sources
claim it is laughable to be involved with as it cannot be predicted without it happening). In
response to how vital healthy players are to a club, there are a substantial amount of technologies
and analytical processes to assess the health, injury, and recovery of elite athletes. AC Milans
MilanLab which is built on the idea of injury prevention is a prime example of how dedicated
teams are to sports science. With its partner Microsoft, the MilanLab, founded in 2002, analyzes
aspects of a player's medical, psychological, sporting, and scientific profile in order to optimize
player health and team success (Meersseman). Jean-Pierre Meersseman is the man responsible for
MilanLab and the clubs movement towards a health and medicine in the late 80s. Since then, AC
Milan has won seven Serie A titles and five European championships, and many club players have
performed above expectations into their late 30s, including Clarence Seedorf, Paolo Maldini, David
Beckham, and Gennaro Gattuso. Humbly, Meersseman stated the following concerning Italian
legend Maldini:
I could never say it was us that were the reason Paolo Maldini played until he was 41. Paolo is
simply an exceptional individual. But when he was about 32 or 33, he would admit himself
that his career was going slightly downhill. Paolo is extremely complementary about the work
we did with him, and I hope we were a helping factor in kick-starting his career again in his
early thirties (Meersemanlab).

49
Now, Meersseman has a lab located in London providing the same services in healthcare and injury
prevention to elite players in the Premier League.
Hundreds of unique companies and startups have occupied this fitness and health industry
in an attempt to satisfy evolving market needs. Omegawave, for example, has been around for
fifteen years and strives to identify optimal types and intensities of training and recovery, to
improve athletic performance and help avoid injury in both elite soccer players such as Mario
Balotelli, Lionel Messi, and Steven Gerrard, and non-elite athletes. The companys products use
electrocardiogram sensors to assess cardiac, metabolic, and central nervous system readiness,
providing the necessary fitness recommendations. (Omegawave). Another company related to
nutritional health is MuscleSound. Like Omegawave, MuscleSound is targeted towards elite athletes
and aims to improve athletic performance and reduce injury, yet its methodology and focus are
entirely different it uses non-invasive ultrasound to analyze muscle glycogen storage, the bodys
energy levels. In approximately 15 seconds, an athlete can gauge his/her energy levels and alter
personalized performance and nutritional inputs/outputs to maximize performance (MuscleSound).
Applied, if an athlete enters a game with half of the required levels of glycogen, he/she will run out
of fuel or get gassed. In other sports, decreased glycogen levels are proven to be directly related to
performance, including decreased maximum sprinting speeds and shooting percentages in
basketball (Interview). Another company is Sano Intelligence, a yet-to-be-launched startup. Sano is
developing a small (think nicotine patch small), painless patch that automatically transmits
information about your overall metabolic health from your bloodstream to your mobile device.

50
While this product has a limited lifespan and is currently being aimed towards a new generation of
consumers fascinated with the idea of quantifying their individual performances, its not hard to see
parallels in what can be achieved within the professional sports world (Schwartz). Others include
Breezing, which measures metabolism via any mobile device simply by breathing; AlterG, which
developed the first anti-gravity treadmill, helping to
shorten recovery times and increase mobility (image
to the right); and a to-be-named South African
startup, which created a tracking device that reads
interstitial fluid, effectively predicting calories
consumed (Interview). In essence, whether marketed
at elite or non-elite athletes, this market is burgeoning, making medical diagnostics accessible, and
clearly demonstrating the capabilities that will soon be available to our most elite footballers.
The nutritional element of the physiological equation is intriguing (some of the tools and
tests already being briefly discussed), and this market is generally broken into four steps or
categories: assessment, prescription, application, and tracking and monitoring. It should be noted
that many elements of these steps are universal across different processes and purposes in sports
(e.g. most team analytical processes begin with a baseline assessment of physiological and athletic
abilities). Nutritional assessment is the baseline understanding of how to tailor personalized
nutritional prescription and is conducted either via self-reporting or blood marking, the latter
enabling the availability of real-time nutritional data. A nutritional aptitude screen can also be

51
utilized here, which assesses consumer eating behaviors and knowledge. The prescription element
is fairly straight forward in that an athlete is given a specific regimen to follow in order to achieve a
specific goal. According to a source, there is not of new science in the area of prescription. Next,
the application phase has substantial and vast opportunities to connect different data pieces. The
example my interviewee gave me is simple yet displays the opportunity present: if an athlete knows
that he needs to consume 500 calories at lunch (based on my personalized prescription), what are
we going to do with that information? How are we going to marry the data points of the
individualized needs and food options available? Last is the tracking and monitoring element in
which the major questions are what are we tracking? and why? During our interview, my source
cited a newly piloted dietary product that sends a dietician a daily consumption report based on self-
reporting. In sum, if the end consumer follows the regimen and collects points as needed, there is
a guarantee of losing at least 7% body weight over a four month period. Ultimately, there is a
plethora of uses and applications of analytics and technology in nutrition and physiological
processes as a whole within the soccer arena, allowing sports scientists and performance coaches
to optimize human performance and potential.


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Neuroscience
Neuroscience is a fascinating subject to me, one that I was introduced to via secondhand
studying. While its role in soccer and sport is still relatively limited (although sources claim that
virtually everyone uses it to some extent) often either perceived as a fad or not consistently
validated by research I consider it to be a differentiator in sports performance, and the research
Ive gathered (which is relatively limited in scope and depth compared to the other sections) offers
extraordinary insight into its purposes, methods, and future direction. As one source stated, it is the
last frontier of sport.
To start, what is neuroscience? Neuroscience is any or all of the sciences, such as
neurochemistry and experimental psychology, which deal with the structure or function of the
nervous system and brain (Neuroscience). The sports neuroscience industry is largely unformed
currently, yet its goal is ever-present: increase the speed and accuracy of brain, thus making it (and
therefore in-game decision-making) more efficient. Solutions to topics such as learning and player
development, performing under pressure, and optimizing decision-making are all highly relevant
and sought after in sports, and both neuroscience and sports psychology research continue to offer
gradual answers. At the moment, neuroscience does not appear to offer solutions that are specific or
functional enough, yet this is rapidly changing. Whereas my focus on the physiological and
technical/tactical sides of technology and analytics were more well-rounded and holistic, my

53
emphasis in neuroscience will revolve around three different perspectives: neuroscience in sports,
sports psychology, and computerized cognitive training.
The sports neuroscience industry is highly unregulated; as a matter of fact, about one
hundred new competitors enter the industry per year, ranging from those offering neurotracking
devices (to identify visual and spatial awareness) to neurocognitive training yet their role is still
highly commercial and ineffective. For the most part, there is no evidence as to the value and
effectiveness of these offerings as many companies do not have legitimate data, published papers, or
university research or backing. However, there are some such as my sources (one neuroscientist,
one professor and sports psychologist) who are pioneering a new industry with valid, scientific
findings that will enable technologies and analytics to further enhance the power of the athletes
brain.
The human brain is malleable and plastic. A song bird creates a new song every single day,
effectively changing its brain tissues by about 1% each day. While human brains dont change that
substantially on a day-to-day basis, they are constantly changing and evolving. As a matter of fact,
the structure of our brain, from the details of our dendrites to the density of our hippocampus, is
incredibly influenced by our surroundings, suggesting how malleable it is (Sing a New Song). This
vital piece of knowledge is critical in understanding how an athletes patterns, habits, and even
cognition can be altered and enhanced via biofeedback.
In order to understand how to optimize the performance of the brain under load (for
instance, during a soccer match), we use biofeedback, which is the process of gaining greater

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awareness of many physiological functions primarily using instruments that provide information on
the activity of those same systems, with a goal of being able to manipulate them at will
(Biofeedback) think Pavlovs theory. However, neurofeedback measures brain activity and
rewards particular things via two forms of feedback: EEG (electroencephalography) neurofeedback
uses sensors that are placed on the scalp to measure brain waves, while HEG
(hemoencephalography) neurofeedback uses infrared sensors or functional magnetic resonance
imaging (fMRI) to measure brain blood flow (Neurofeedback). Simply put, these tools allow us to
alter the brains performance and achieve desired cognitive states of an athlete flow, focus, and
calmness while under load or pressure. Another form of neurofeedback is heart rate variability
(HRV), measured by the time in between breaths as you breathe in and out. HRV has become a
standard in the sports science industry as it helps prevent overtraining, and a high HRV [is linked]
to good health and a high level of fitness, whilst decreased HRV is linked to stress, fatigue and even
burnout (Fletscher). Companies like BioForce are optimizing athletic performance and leading the
way in HRV training.
Measuring the brain is also achieved by using neuropsychology tests, which measure
physiological functions in relations to the brain. These are often related to memory, language,
learning, and executive function, among other areas, including aptitude in job functions. One
example of a neuropsych test is the ever-popular Wonderlic Test, a common aptitude test
frequently associated with the NFL and player cognition and mental capabilities. While there have

55
been many attempts to establish relationships between a players Wonderlic (namely quarterbacks)
and their future performance, no positive correlations have been established.
Sports analytics and technology are also emerging in the area of sports psychology as it
continues to blend with neuroscience. Sports psychology is predominantly related to identifying and
enhancing mindset and motivation, by finding that it factor that enables athletes to perform at
their strongest mental and spiritual state. While motivational interviewing is still critical to the
field, questionnaires and computer-based assessments (often related to dual-test tracking, social
acuity, and executive function) are beginning to help understand visual perception, performing
under pressure, and player learning and development.
One fascinating neuroscience study was performed by Geir Jordet of the Norwegian School
of Sport Sciences. In The hidden foundation of field vision in English Premier League soccer
players, Jordet attempted to determine the relationship between visual processes and player
performance. Gordet quotes Barcelonas Xavi:
The difference between them and us is we have more players who think before they play,
quicker. Education is the key. Players have had 10 or 12 years here. When you arrive at
Bara the first thing they teach you is: think. Think, think, think. Quickly. [Xavi starts doing
the actions, looking around himself.] Lift your head up, move, see, think. Look before you
get the ball.

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By using advanced split-screen player broadcasts, Jordet
and his team were able to watch a soccer game while
simultaneously focusing closely on one specific player at
a time (see image). In all, they watched 64 games, 118
players, and over 1,000 relevant situations pertaining to
his study. In doing so, his goal was to observe player visual explorations, which he defined as a
body and/or head movement in which the players face is actively and temporarily directed away
from the ball, with the intention of looking for information that is relevant to perform a subsequent
action with the ball. Ultimately, how did players use their visual senses, and was there some
relationship between visual explorations and performance? The results are astonishing.

After breaking down the numbers into numerous categories (including by position, pass
completions, areas of the field, etc.), perhaps Jordets most telling piece of evidence supporting his
hypothesis (that greater visual exploratory frequency was indeed linked to better performance)
was the chart above. In essence, this chart is midfielder pass completion percentage in the

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opponents half, with the vertical axis is pass completion percentage, and the horizontal is visual
exploration frequency. Overall, there is a substantial (and statistically significant) difference
between the passing of those who are more visually aware than those who exhibit fewer visual
explorations. This finding although not all-telling allows coaches to better prepare players by
mentally training them to be more visually and cognitively aware during all drills and functions.
One company that is beginning to make inroads into the brain analytics space is Axon
Sports. Axon focuses on a new technology, computer based augmentation (brain games, to a
degree), using neuroscience and computer analytics to assess how athletes use their brain on the
field based on the context of sport and position. As demonstrated in the image below, Axon
centralizes around three areas of performance (with subsets of tools and loads for each):
fundamental cognitive processing, athletic cognitive skills, and athletic cognitive skill consolidation.


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Currently, the company only works with football and baseball athletes. In football, for example,
running backs are briefly shown a glimpse of their field vision (what they perceive behind the
quarterback) on a large screen or handheld device, and they must quickly identify the defensive
formations and where to make their runs. Similarly, with baseball, batters view the windup of a
pitcher and, before the release of the ball, the batter must identify the pitch type. By training above
the neck, the company hopes to empower athletes to be more cognitively aware and garner virtual
reps without the physical wear on their bodies (Axon).
Other technologies and means of neurocognitive analytics are present in the marketplace,
yet their successes are not as qualified or documented. For instance, German team Borussia
Dortmund an excellent passing team and winners of the Bundesliga in 2011 and 2012 was
notably using a new technology to not only boost its teams technique on the ball but also to
improve players vision, awareness, and cognitive abilities on the pitch: the Footbonaut.

This unique device puts a player in the middle of a cage-like arena in which a ball is randomly
passed to the player, and he must react to a light at some other area and pass to the flashing light.

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The ability to be cognitively aware during a football match is critical, as established with Jordets
study; as Dortmunds chief scout stated, We are convinced that at the very least the Footbonaut
will improve technique but will also benefit spatial awareness and peripheral vision (Footbonaut).
While new devices like the Footbonaut are paving the way for modern uses of technology and
analytics (e.g. how quickly a player reacts to the light, the time it takes to release the ball, etc.), their
uses are considered somewhat of a fad, and their effects not validated by scientific research as of yet.
Ultimately, neuroscience has a simple goal in sports: improve the athletic brain. Research
findings are critical, yet the most essential element of the neuro process in relation to sports is
communicating key findings to coaches. Although this part of the process is more subjective, its role
shapes how neuroscience is truly applied on the training ground and beyond. For instance, a
neuroscientists report on an athlete, which used subtests that sample speed, accuracy, learning, and
emotional identification and providing a coaching tip for each element, included the following
information concerning information processing:
Information Processing: Her immediate and delayed recall are high scoring, with 75th and
87th percentile results. The ability to screen out interference is however not as impressive,
getting worse across time, from the 42nd percentile initially which is average, down to the
19th percentile which is low.
Coaching Tip: Although she focuses well, there is a drive to perform which may be creating
some distraction from coaching input over time, resorting to other influences. Coaching
should be clear, and repeated, so that she complies well with coaching without other

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influences intervening unintentionally. Contextual boundaries break down over time, so she
may not attribute exactly what information came from what source, disturbing her clarity
(Gogo 43).
In sum, neurosciences role in sports in continuing to expand, and its influences on both subjective
focuses like motivation as well as objective focuses like HRV will perpetuate its use in coming years.
If you can measure the brain, you can manage it (Sugarman).

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Moving Forward
Ethical Discussion
When initially choosing the topic of sports analytics, the idea of discussing ethical play was
nonexistent. As I continued to delve deeper into the subject matter, however, it was evident that
leagues, clubs, and decision-makers face superfluous amounts of ethical dilemmas on a regular basis,
many of which wont be resolved for years. Some of these illustrations of ethics focus on hard
sciences whereas others centralize around vague, unestablished concepts. Ultimately, these
questions among others must be addressed before more adverse consequences result as the
industry continues to progress.
Medical Advancements: What is and is not allowed on the physiological side of sports
science going forward? With medical advancements flourishing in the new century, creating
and rebuilding athletes, ethical dilemmas are already present and under scrutiny. To start,
look at one of the most notable surgical procedures affecting sports: Tommy John surgery in
baseball (and other similar procedures across other sports). Currently, Tommy John surgery
reconstructs elbow ligaments, primarily in cases of overuse by pitchers throwing too hard,
too frequently, or with improper throwing technique. However, within the past several
years, harrowing questions have arisen from the current generations youth: If
reconstructive elbow surgery were performed on his healthy throwing arm, might he gain
some speed on his fastball? Well, according to virtually all doctors and surgeons, the

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answer is a resounding no. Instead, in most cases, it allows players to return to their pre-
injury form giving the misconception that the elbow is stronger and enabling a higher
level of play as well as one that the surgery is a cure-all, preemptive way to get better
(Longman). My question, however, is with the advent of new technologies and surgical
procedures, will surgeries eventually lead to improved on-field performance? If a young
athlete with naturally weaker ligaments, tendons, or muscles were to be a recipient of a
procedure leading to enhanced abilities, is that cheating, or is it fair game? While the ones
performing the operations claim that its effects are non-advantageous, both one of my key
interview sources and I contend that this could change in coming years, provoking serious
internal discussions amongst governing bodies.
Another hot topic in medical advancements is cyborg enhancements, such as the
artificial limbs of athletes like Oscar Pistorius (one of the most renowned and
controversial Paralympic athletes). The argument is simple: modern technology and
engineering can build better limbs than people can grow. Initially, Pistorius was banned
from competing in able-bodied events with evidence citing that he had a significant
advantage over able-bodied runners; however, the ruling was reversed:
Initially, they tested Pistorius' biomechanics only at full-speed when he was running
in a straight line (unlike a real 400-metre race). Further, the report did not
consider the disadvantages that Pistorius suffers at the start and acceleration phases

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of the race, and that overall there was no evidence that he had any net advantage
over able-bodied athletes (Oscar Pistorius).
Pistorius was eligible and competed in the 2012 Olympic Games, and although he did not
medal, it set a precedent for other Paralympic athletes to compete with able-bodied athletes.
Ultimately, will technology eventually cultivate stronger, faster, and better athletes than
natural processes? Once again, I argue yes: technology will keep producing better and better
athletes.
Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs): It is not a surprise that doping is not highly
prevalent (or at least publicized) in soccer. This is typically due to a lack of testing, yet FIFA
has been diligently working with the World Anti-Doping Agency code for almost a decade.
The minimum first-year penalty for violating this PED policy is a two-year ban from
competitive soccer with exceptions, of course (World Cup). However, PEDs largely affect
other sports, namely baseball, football, MMA, and cycling.
Baseball and football are extremely relevant to the modern PED discussion as athletes
continue to get stronger and faster, seemingly defying natural limits. I will not delve too
deep into either case considering how well they are documents and discussed, yet new
means of doping are complex to the point that a drugs presence is unidentifiable, as was the
case with Alex Rodriguez who tested negative on numerous occasions. Words like
Biogenesis and human growth hormone are becoming commonplace as fans almost accept
PED presence in sports. MLB is notorious for frequent drug testing, using analytics to assess

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a players biological status (e.g. higher concentrations, foreign chemicals), and they have
even been known to suspend players with non-analytic proof (Keri).
Doping is increasing under the microscope in mixed martial arts. While many
fighters face suspensions for violating doping policies, one of the industrys most winning
fighters, Georges St. Pierre, claimed that UFCs stance on the issue was not strict enough.
Yet in a move to continue its stance against performance-enhancing drugs, the Nevada State
Athletic Commission (and, consequently, UFC) banned testosterone replacement therapy
(TRT) in the form of therapeutic use exemptions (TEU) in February of 2014. Several top-
tier fighters used TRT to aid in testosterone deficiencies, yet, on eliminating the exemptions
and advancing the industrys no-drug policy, UFC President Dana White stated, We
believe our athletes should compete based on their natural abilities and on an even playing
field (Helwani). However, some fighters, like Chael Sonnen, claim that TRT is necessary
for them to fight at normal levels prompting thoughts of retirement and even to live.
Lastly, blood doping in cycling was exposed with the recent Lance Armstrong
scandal. Concerning blood doping in cycling, one analyst had this to say:
With the Tour de France, you have physiological data about cyclists with
corresponding physical output capacity, then actual physical output; if they dont
match [or resemble each other closely], something else is happening. We continue
to gather more data (such as biological passports [an individual, electronic record
for professional athletes, in which profiles of biological markers of doping and

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results of doping tests are collated over a period of time]) to prevent unethical
behavior. It can be advantageous and add to the fairness of sport (Biological
Passport).
One PED in particular that is notorious in cycling is Erythropoietin (EPO), a glycoprotein
hormone; yet, like many illegal methods of enhancing performance, it is extremely
challenging to detect. One interview source simplified the process for me: In the offseason,
athletes take out blood, centrifuge it, freeze the platelets, and inject prior to competition,
effectively increasing the capacity to carry oxygen, thus enhancing athletic performance. Of
course, this is just one of dozens of PEDs currently in use across the industry, and as both
analytical and biological detection processes improve, doping should see continued
decreases across all sports.
Data Ownership: When asking industry analysts about ethical dilemmas facing the sports
analytics space, the most frequent response was simple: who owns the data? This might
seem like an easy question to answer, but its complexity is infinite. One source used a
metaphor to describe the current trend: if a photographer or artist creates a piece, they own
it and can license. Not with athletes because they create the data and currently own no stake
in it, so who really owns it?
Technically speaking, the data companies own the big data and sell subscriptions for
the datas use to clubs. This includes technical (ball event) data and physiological data (from
providers like Prozone). Clubs also own their own data data they collect by hand or with

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the help of software and hardware like SportsCode or miCoach. Then there is a grey zone in
that there is a fair amount of publicly available data on the internet; clubs can download and
use these data sets. Likewise, a source claimed that data tracking devices have not been
approved by FIFA and other governing bodies due to the issue of data ownership. Before
these devices make major breakthroughs in world football, governing bodies are compelled
to possess a controlling stake in data ownership, an issue that collective bargaining
agreements will likely settle in the near future. Under current collective bargaining
agreements between leagues, teams, and players, the players currently do not own any of the
date yet this could also change as players unions try to determine what data is available to
whom and as sports become more analytics-oriented.
Another implication with data ownership involves decision-making. Who makes
the decisions based off the data? With a team system, for instance, a performance coach may
see discrepancies in force production on the right and left sides of the body, perhaps a 10%
asymmetry, suggesting that the player could get hurt; in this case, they must assess the
situation and determine if there is an issue or if it is an anomaly. Conversely, if an opposing
coach gets ahold of that same athletes data, he could try to exploit it. Data ownership is a
hotbed of contestation as leagues, teams, and players vie for a stake in the data. Overall, it
boils down to a debate of products versus people and the question of who is truly profiting
from the data.

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Unfair Advantages: Cue the capitalism versus communism debate, the notion of the haves
versus the have nots, and the fairness of inequality. Are sports like soccer in Europe or
baseball unfair in which the most elite teams Manchester United, the Yankees, Real
Madrid have substantially more resources (and can therefore afford more advanced
analytical systems) than their counterparts? According to most industry analysts, no, and
although greater access to resources will always create some advantage, it is those who
optimize those resources who will truly win. Sport is about creating competitive
advantages through any means, and oftentimes those without superfluous assets best
optimize their limited resources. As was the case with the Oakland As or Stoke City or
2004s Greek national soccer team, good coaches, scouts, strategies, and so forth create
advantages not necessarily money and the best players. Simply put, as long as there is no
exclusivity (e.g. if a technology company signed an exclusive deal with a team), meaning that
everyone has equal access opportunities, and as long as the means are legal, it is fair.
Naturally, as technology and analytics allow us to identify more effective ways to measure
and assess soccer, the teams with the most resources will have an inherent advantage, yet
their counterparts will always discover different, more efficient means to win.
Art vs. Science: Soccer is the beautiful game. According to most players, coaches, and fans,
there is a right way to play the game, and some would rather lose playing an attractive,
quality style of football than win in poor fashion. In a sense, there is an art to winning and,
to some, analytics role in sports is threatening that very art. While data is giving the coach

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the artists and practitioners of soccer information that can be vital to success, some
(namely those on the analytics side) perhaps lose sight of true art of sport and winning,
instead focusing too much on numbers. In a sense, this leads to coaches and decision-makers
no longer perceiving players as humans but rather as mechanical cogs in a system. In truth,
playing the numbers game is not really about numbers first and foremost (Anderson, Sally
309). Instead, it is a way to perceive things differently and combine science and art in the
most optimal way possible to create an attractive brand of football while optimizing player
and team performance.
Overall, we must understand both sides of each conversation and make accurate, balanced decisions,
oftentimes with insufficient or incomplete data and stories. Decision-makers cannot be quick to
condemn new ideas and innovations; instead, they must have serious conversations with engineers,
doctors, and ethicists to determine the path of this industry. While these issues are far from being
all-inclusive, they demonstrate the substantial obstacles and threats that the future of sports
technologies and analytics still pose and we must identify and resolve them before their effect on
the game is too great.


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Implications
Sports analytics and technologies have advanced at exponential rates. According to Moores
Law, technological capabilities (measured in computer processing power) essentially double every
two years. At this point, the industry still seems to be at a fraction of its potential, yet this
generation is facing a critical tipping point with the effectiveness and success-rate of analytics being
used to assess and predict. As one industry expert claimed, if we continue progressing at this rate
without seeing substantial results, the industry will lose all of the credibility it has established. This
same professional frequently asks the same question to teams: If your sports scientist was shot in
the morning, would it make any difference? In essence, is sports science making a difference to the
bottom-line or scoreboard? If not, were not doing our job, and the industry lose that credibility. So,
with that, what does all of this mean for the sports analytics and technology space? In their book,
The Numbers Game, Chris Anderson and David Sally make several notable forecasts for the future;
Id like to highlight three of theirs and add several predictions of my own for soccer as a whole.
1. The biggest analytical breakthroughs will not occur at Manchester United, Manchester
City, Real Madrid, Barcelona, or any of the twenty richest clubs in Deloittes Football
Money League (Anderson, Sally 298). While some of these clubs have adopted analytics to
varying and powerful degrees, none of them have a strong impetus to invest wholeheartedly
into an analytical approach. The purpose of using analytics is investing in a different way to
win football games; if these clubs are already winning, why would they alter their ways

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drastically? Similar to the approach of the New York Yankees in baseball (spend massive
amounts of money on new talent acquisitions rather than focusing heavily on developing
homegrown talent), these major clubs have tradition and winning seemingly runs in their
veins. What they lack, however, is the desperation and necessity to differentiate and identify
new ways to win. As Billy Beane stated on his Oakland As moneyball team, We had
nothing to lose (Anderson, Sally 299). But Id argue it wont be the teams at the bottom of
the table making these breakthroughs, either at least not without ownership buy-in.
Unlike baseball, soccer has relegation and promotion, the difference between thousands and
millions of dollars in revenue. As previously stated, managers dont last long in soccer; on
average, less than two years. Given this, the managers on the hot seat wont be the ones to
make these drastic moves, as their jobs and potentially careers are in jeopardy. Instead, it
will be the teams with several things: ownership buy-in to the analytical approach, a modest
financial allowance, and young, innovative, risk-taking managers.
2. The volume of soccer data will increase by at least thirty-two times (Anderson, Sally 302).
Whereas there have been gigantic improvements to sports analytics since Charles Reep or
even Bill James, imagine where we could be in ten years from now? With the abundance of
new means to collect and access data video and GPS chips, for example it wouldnt be a
stretch to suggest that the amount of data available to leagues and teams could continue to
evolve at exponential rates to this point. In addition to just games and practices, teams will
soon have a grasp on players nutritional, sleeping, and neuroscience data and that could

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just be the start of it. While this will bring up questions of who owns the data (see ethical
discussion), its impact on the game should be huge, and it will be largely up to the number
crunchers and data analysts to figure out what to make of it all.
3. The reformation of the counters will in turn be countered (Anderson, Sally 314). Theres a
chance that the movement towards an emphasis on soccer analytics and the impact of
technology on sports could eventually fade away, giving into the hype cycle notion but I
dont buy it. While the idea of sports analytics has evolved into an industry-wide fad, its
impact and contributions will make a lasting impression. As StatDNA CEO Jaeson
Rosenfield stated:
There is a system in place, existing power structures, ways that things have been
done that need to adapt. That doesnt happen overnight. There are a lot of barriers;
they have seen what happened at Liverpool [the team spent millions on three
players based on advanced analytics and it failed miserably], so they say, hey,
Moneyball doesnt work in soccer. You never have an immediate success case. The
things were analyzing now, itll take a long time to figure out if were right, and
when someone does, itll take time to see if its right. Once theres a bona fide
success, theyll rush in (Anderson).
The success of the sports analytics industry wont be instantaneous; the data is long-term
oriented and longitudinal, and it wont give us immediate answers. However, as teams
continue to find success with it, building stronger case studies for the usefulness of what we

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do, others will make the leap of faith towards using numbers add objectivity to a subjective
sport. The existing mindset of most coaches must die off first, figuratively and literally. One
sports scientist and analyst claimed: sciences advance one funeral at a time. While itll take
a while, the successes of the industry will soon speak volumes for the industry.
4. All first-flight/major teams will have someone internally responsible for sports sciences at
least to some degree. While I dont argue that all teams will pursue soccer analytics as a chief
means to winning, they will certainly find some valuable uses for data, analytics, and
technology on the soccer side. Whether that be from the technical or tactical (head coach),
physiological (performance coaches), or neuroscience side (team physician/psychologist), or
all of the above, teams will undeniable accept the value of analytics to some degree. Teams
like Everton and Chelsea may lead the way in pioneering human performance from an
analytical approach, but others are present, and soon virtually everyone will be in some
regard. As one of my interviewees claimed, those with backgrounds across multiple fields,
including kinesiology, biomechanics, data management, data optimization, leadership,
project management, and soccer knowledge will prevail and fulfill numerous valuable cross-
functional roles.
5. Data chips, both on and off the pitch, will be equally as, if not more, valuable as video
analysis tools. Thank you, nanotechnology. I love team tracking systems; as I explained,
adidas miCoach was the first product with which I came in contact. Whereas video tracking
and analysis technologies are invaluable look at Match Analysis K2 Panoramic camera, for

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instance, giving you a full view of the field, allowing you to visually assess things that
numbers sometimes cant the amount of data that they can collect is limited and
incomplete. Video is, of course, best for tactics and technical assessment but the
physiological data that chips can collect adds one extra element that nearly completes the
puzzle. Imagine having access to video, interpreting players performance, while
understanding their work load, power exertion, heart rate, and acceleration and
potentially even nutritional, sleep, and neuroscience data. I and several industry analysts
assert that the innovations in the nanotechnology space will facilitate microchips to be used
on/in shirts, shoes, balls, and even the body to track and garner positioning and
physiological data. While the current landscape of major soccer leagues and governing
bodies prohibits the use of tracking chips during game play, this will soon change once data
ownership is established, opening the floodgates for opportunity to collect mass amounts of
new data. Traditionalist managers may strictly use video analysis, but others will begin
collect data from all realms of sports performance.
6. New soccer metrics will be born and spurn out and then more will come. In baseball, the
rise of sabermetrics has been impossible to ignore, and numbers such as WAR and VORP
are regularly being used by teams to assess player performance on more holistic levels than
batting average, runs, and steals. The same thing is happening in basketball with PER.
Despite this movement, soccer is still largely dominated by ancient statistics: goals, assists,
clean sheets, passes, and so forth. In truth, there are no overarching statistics that judge a

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players overall value. Even worse, where are the defensive metrics? Soon, I argue that
metrics will emerge that begin to judge the most subjective elements of soccer (perhaps in
an attempt to solve the Ronaldo/Messi debate) yet, due to the unpredictability of soccer
and the infancy of this industry with the sport, it wont work. But, in time, as we continue
to gather data and find correlations that relate to those most important metrics goals,
assists, and clean sheets new metrics will emerge that will help us better understand the
game, both for internal player assessment and the external consumer experience.
7. Youth soccer clubs and academies will adopt analytics on smaller scales to both have better
objective measures of talent identification and to perform longitudinal assessments. As I
briefly discussed, talent identification is a huge element of future success; after all, scouting
and player development are what make teams like baseballs Tampa Bay Rays so successful.
However, to have player and team data especially within Europes youth academies years
before the collegiate or high school level is a massive advantage. Clubs are already testing
youth athletes regularly (I witnessed youth soccer physical tests at EXOS during my
internship), yet advanced metrics will soon make their ways into the ranks, perhaps just at
the elite clubs and academies at first. With the rapid advancement of technology (cue
Moores Law again), technology and data costs will decrease, facilitating their use in smaller
organizations. Teams will invest in GPS positioning chips to continue to assess
physiological performance and growth over spans of years. The power of identifying an
objective, numbers-driven blueprint of expected progression both from physical and

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technical standpoints to aid in decision-making with player development would be
colossal. Further, as coaches continue to use the data and become smarter at assessing the
game (developing players has stagnated due to poor coaching, according to one source),
their improvements will translate directly to crafting better players.
8. The MLS will fulfill its goal of being one of the best leagues in the world by 2022 with
helping hand from its partnerships with adidas and Match Analysis as well as its progressive
approach to soccer. Further, the US will flourish as a soccer nation. We're operating now
with a clear vision in mind. The vision that has been articulated by our board is that by 2022
soccer is to be a pre-eminent sport in North America and MLS is to be among the best
leagues MLS executive vice president Nelson Rodriguez (Lewis). Despite the somewhat
negative perception of soccer in North America relative to other nations, this dream could
very well become a reality with both the quality of players (both homegrown and transfers
from abroad) and general play increasing substantially over the past several years. According
to one source, this goal can be achieved through success in several pillars: passion of fans,
relevance of clubs in the marketplace, value of club enterprises (fact: the 20th team in NY
had a $100M expansion fee compared to a $5M fee in 1996), and the overall quality of play.
Further, MLS continues to live on the forefront of innovation and technology. In
2012, the league launched its Smart Soccer initiative with adidas miCoach Elite System a
game-changing experience for teams and fans. Likewise, in 2013, MLS extended its
partnership with Match Analysis to collect panoramic game video across all of the leagues

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stadiums. Mark Brunkhart, president of Match Analysis, believes that the MLSs
commitment to incorporating the most advanced products is another example of how the
clubs in North America are charting new territory (Kennedy). These league-wide deals are
giving clubs access to massive amounts of performance data in every capacity, enabling each
to use analytics in different ways, spurning more growth and innovation. Dissimilar to the
trend abroad, coaches and teams stateside seem more interested and eager to embrace
technology and apply a more objective approach. While the US is historically not known for
developing the worlds elite players, this trend could change as technology and analytics
continue to be embraced by the league and its constituents.
Players such as Robbie Keane, who have experienced success abroad, state that the
level of play is high yet not world class not yet. There are a lot of players in England that I
speak to now, youngish kind of players, that want to come over here and play over here.
There are certainly a lot of players who look at this league now with certainly a different
opinion than they did a few years ago, Keane stated last year and the league continues to
improve since then (Straus).
Lastly, soccer will continue to flourish in the United States. The David Beckham
effect certainly aided the growth of a plateaued sport in the US, increasing overall
attendance, teams, and league awareness. Before Beckhams arrival, the league averaged
about 15,000 fans per game; at the end of his stint, that average jumped by 3,000 and the
Sounder twice had crowds of over 67,000 and the club set the MLS attendance record for

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the fifth consecutive season, averaging 44,038 last year, according to MLS figures. That
average attendance would rank sixth in the Premier League, just behind Liverpool (Tasch,
Red). The leagues growth in conjunction to the recent successes of both the mens and
womens national teams has continued to attract fans of the beautiful game. Perhaps
equally as telling, US fans purchased twice as many tickets as the next nation for the
upcoming 2014 World Cup (sans hosts Brazil) with over 120,000 (Braley). Ultimately, with
the quality of soccer in the United States continuing to improve and the sports forward
momentum, it will soon be one of the worlds leading soccer leagues. An MLS team will not
win the UEFA Champions League within a decade, but, as a whole, its quality will be
consistent with the other elites.


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Recommendations and Conclusion
Technology and analytics have effectively integrated themselves into the fabric of sports,
and their roles in soccer are becoming more and more prevalent. From the technical and tactical
spaces of soccer to physiological and neurological processes, soccer is en route to optimizing human
and team performance in an attempt to gain competitive advantages and win. However, despite the
mounds of data currently available, the lack of inspiring, impactful results in soccer analysis may
lead to decreased growth in an otherwise burgeoning industry. In order to move forward using
match analysis systems to their full potential and achieve results, teams must follow several crucial
yet simple recommendations: 1. Have a plan, 2. Understand the process, 3. Find harmony, and 4.
Impact soccers culture.
1. Having a plan: Despite being a disciple of the soccer analytics movement, I would not
urge any teams to invest in new technologies without a clear plan and purpose. Just
because Manchester United is one of the wealthiest teams in England doesnt mean it
should invest in analytics, as perhaps it wont use it properly or doesnt have the proper
top-down buy-in from the ownership and coaching staff. Instead, teams must
strategically determine how to spend resources and how analytics and new technologies
will help the team grow. A fringe team like Fulham, for example, might have a league
worst defensive line, especially in its own half, so it could invest in a video-based system
to help assess and analyze team tactics and improve defensive formations. Perhaps

79
Juventus is experiencing injury and fatigue-related problems and might invest in
tracking devices to monitor players metabolic levels. In all, a significant internal audit
must be completed to determine the teams needs and in which capacities new
technologies and analytical processes can facilitate better results. Dont go in search of
finding just answers, go in search of answering your questions! (Norman). Beyond
understanding team needs, there must be top-down buy-in, facilitating substantial
monetary investments into a product that may not produce immediate results.
2. Understanding the process: Before any work with analytics or match analysis is
undertaken by a team, teams must understand the purpose and process of match
analysis. Unfortunately, many managers and coaches expect immediate results with
newly-implemented systems; soccer analytics wont provide immediately results,
especially without the proper staff in place to comprehend the data and disseminate it in
meaningful ways to coaches and players. From the data analytics side, the process for
both electronic tracking devices and video-based match analysis is virtually the same:
match observation/recording, analysis, and results (Carling 37). While the technology
will facilitate step one, there must be someone within the team capable of
understanding, processing, and analyzing what the data is actually telling them. Beyond

80
analysis, someone with both analytical and soccer backgrounds must then interpret the
results and actually apply them to training, match preparation, and fitness. For example,
video analysis is used to capture a Real Madrid vs. Barcelona
game, and thousands of data points are collected. At that
point, focusing on Karim Benzema (Real Madrid striker) in
particular, a data analyst determines that his left-footed
shooting was off: his shots were significant slower and his
shot location was poor. While it may simply appear that his
left foot is just a weaker foot, perhaps past data demonstrates a
higher shot velocity and more accurate shot placement;
instead, perhaps he has a subtle injury or was not fully fit for
the game. In essence, there are a multitude of possibilities to
explain the behaviors, suggesting that someone must be
qualified to interpret the key results. Further, when
interpreting and presenting the results to the coaches and
other decision-makers, there are several forms of presentation: computer or database,
raw data, spatial, graphical, match video, or match reconstructions (Carling 62).
Illustrating data visually is critical in communicating data and achieving results, and
once coaches receive and interpret these forms of communication, then it is their

81
responsibility to provide individualized and team feedback and advice, preparing the
team for the next match.
3. Finding harmony: Expanding upon the idea of internal collaboration and buy-in, the
concept of backroom bandwidth suggests that everyone is operating and
communicating at different frequencies, resulting in a frayed analysis process. While
many teams have invested in brilliant physiologists, psychologists, and data analysts, it is
critical that they are not only communicating amongst each other but operating in
harmony especially in the final communications with the head coaches and athletes.
According to one source, when evaluating talent, a specific teams strength and
conditioning coaches were most concerned about running speed, yet the technical
analysts and coaching staff were more interested in space and perception. Similarly,
another teams analytics department was measuring several metrics directly correlated to
winning games, and the sports science department was measuring entirely different
metrics. Internal silos destroy efficiencies and prevent the proper information from
being communicated to coaches and players. In all, functional units within teams must
understand their roles (medical staff pre/post, return to play; coaching staff
education and training efficiency; performance staff player profile and development;
team personnel player management and decision-making), yet each function must be
interdependent and work as a unified team (Norman).

82
4. Impacting soccers culture: As Ive noted throughout this paper, despite the rapid growth
of technology and analytics in soccer, the significant use and emphasis on analytics is
still foreign to most teams and old school coaching staffs. However, society largely
affects how soccer evolves from here on out; teams and leagues integrate elements of in-
game technologies into sports as a whole to satisfy increasing consumer demands, such
as goal-line technology and instant replay, effectively impacting how fans view and
perceive games. While perhaps only analytics-driven results and successful case studies
will impact the way baby-boomers and Generation Xers perceive soccer, the analytics-
friendly Millennials (1980-2000) and Generation Zers (2001-present) crave instant
feedback, data visualizations, and new technologies. By consistently impacting consumer
experience with game analytics and graphics via social media, media coverage (e.g.
SportsCenter), and sponsorship activations, soccer fans will embrace and demand more
emphasis on modern approaches from those teams hesitant to make the necessary
financial and systematic investments.
Rapidly-advancing technologies and various means of data analytics are pioneering the way
that we watch, play, and coach soccer. Their roles impact all facets of soccer and sport from talent
identification and evaluation to fitness levels to game performance. As a soccer player, consumer,
and future employee in this industry, I hope to further optimize player and team performance by
educating coaches, decision-makers, players, and consumers on the roles and impacts of technology

83
and analytics in soccer. In an industry and sport dominated by thats the way its always been done,
its my responsibility to challenge the current guard and continue to facilitate the reformation in
soccer (Anderson 1).

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