Not so long ago, professional footballers treated their bodies slightly better than Sunday league players.
‘In Liverpool, if we were playing away in the late 90s, we would get on the team bus, and there would be a few crates of beer,’ Michael Owen tells The Athletic. ‘You had to tick a box before the game to say whether you wanted chicken and chips or fish and chips after the game — and by the time you were halfway home, the whole bus was filled with cigarette smoke.’
Fast forward to 2023, and modern football differs from amateur football primarily due to detailed, objective monitoring of player performance — from the number of passes made to heart rate.
We’re used to seeing players wear GPS (global positioning system) vests under their shirts during games, but it’s worth emphasising how much technology has advanced in football in recent years.
The current generation of players literally has nowhere to hide, given the ubiquity of data in football.
‘In our generation, you could tell who came in the night before just by the positions they took in training — they were on the left wing and doing nothing,’ explains Owen. ‘Now, if you don’t do enough in training, they can look and ask if something is wrong with a player — physically or emotionally.’
Data-driven training and performance
STATSports and Catapult are the most widely used portable GPS devices in professional sports, with companies such as Barin Sports and Hudl (WIMU Pro) also competing to provide the most advanced performance tracking.
Each device offers a wealth of detailed information, with sensors that not only track the number of sprints a player makes but also calculate the direction they are facing when they receive the ball.
It’s one thing to record a vast amount of data for each player, but the real advantage of the technology lies in its ability to generate instant, actionable insights on a mobile device.
‘In total, we have four sensors — GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer — and you get 660 raw data points per second,’ explains Thiago Malakias, senior research scientist at STATSports, which is used by hundreds of clubs worldwide, including Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Juventus, and the Brazilian national team.
‘That’s a lot of data for a coach, so that’s when you use the software to generate different metrics that clubs can use.’
Unsurprisingly, some of the most commonly used metrics are those that help prevent non-contact injuries, with clubs able to set individual thresholds for each player to ensure they aren’t overloading physically, providing real-time risk management during training. Just like in the world of online casinos, where platforms like Slotozen Casino login offer tools to manage and control your gameplay, football teams can now use technology to control and monitor player performance, ensuring both safety and peak performance.
‘The coaching team can access a player’s internal workload, such as heart rate and VO2 max (maximum oxygen consumption), and their external workload, like total distance and speed,’ explains Malakias. ‘Managing this throughout the week enables them to do everything possible to prevent player injuries.’
Preventing injuries with real-time data
‘We can’t claim to prevent injuries, but there are factors you can manage, and these devices are crucial to that.’
Whether it’s shortening the duration of training exercises, adding extra players in the middle of a popular ‘rondos’ to reduce intensity, or simply lowering the pace of a training game, the insight provided by this technology allows staff to adjust a player’s physical output by tailoring sessions to his unique attributes — reducing the risk of injury and maximising peak performance throughout the season.
Former players, such as Owen, have opinions about current injury prevention methods compared to those in his playing career.
‘When I was 19, I suffered a horrific injury,’ explains Owen, who is also an investor and representative of Barin Sports. ‘I’m almost certain that if this technology had been available at the time, I could have had a completely different career — being at the top of my game for 15 years instead of six or seven.’
‘On the one hand, it’s frustrating, but at the same time, it makes you realise how amazing the technology is. Now, any injury can be detected before it happens, and it won’t damage someone’s career so badly. It’s an incredible tool.’
Beyond injury prevention, the true value of performance data comes when it provides coaches with insights that factor in the context of a team’s match strategy.
In 2022, Catapult launched the industry’s first platform combining player performance data with video analysis for use before, after, and during live games.
From analysing team form (both in possession and in defence) to identifying space between centre-backs, Catapult’s MatchTracker merges player tracking data with real-time video to visualise what is happening on the pitch. MatchTracker is the flagship product in Catapult’s Pro Video Platform, offering a comprehensive set of performance analysis tools for training, matches, and opponent scouting.
‘The advantage of MatchTracker is the seamless integration of different performance data sets aligned with video,’ says Adam Chovan, senior product manager at Catapult. ‘Now teams can quickly sort, filter, and view performance statistics using a variety of data visualisations and instantly play back video for the coach.’
The immediacy of this information is a real advantage, and awareness among clubs is growing. In addition to Catapult’s global clients, including Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and the French Football Federation, MatchTracker supports more than half of the tactical information of Premier League teams, and you may have already seen it in use on match day.
Match analysis in real time
Fans often see coaches gathering around monitors on the pitch after a questionable foul, but the main use of this technology is to provide real-time tracking updates, allowing staff to spot patterns and trends in the game based on player performance data.
Integrated video or not, the output that only GPS tracking can provide remains a valuable source of information to inform a manager’s tactical strategy during a game.
‘We can track the distance between players and the distance between lines — effectively measuring the length and width of the team,’ explains Daniel Shopov of Barin Sports.
‘During the game, we measured how much pressure the opponent was putting on our team as the defensive and midfield lines closed in. This information influenced the substitution decisions. The coach focused on the five defenders, allowing those lines to stretch out. We were able to track the team’s form in real time and combine that with physical data to determine which player to substitute — that’s where the tactical and physical metrics came together.’
Tracking technical skills: new devices on the market
While GPS vests are commonly used to measure physical performance, new technologies are emerging that monitor technical performance through lower limb tracking systems.
In 2015-16, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) allowed clubs to wear GPS vests only during matches. Recently, however, the board approved AI tracker straps from technology company Playermaker, which are worn on football boots to provide performance data. This includes metrics such as kick speed, ball touches, time on the ball, as well as established physical data such as balance, speed, distance, and changes of direction.
Since its inception, Playermaker has gained popularity. FIFA’s head of global football development and former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger invested in Playermaker nearly four years ago. The company now collaborates with over 200 clubs and organizations globally, including Galaxy, the English Football Association, and Borussia Dortmund. Playermaker has also recently partnered with Manchester City to develop a new generation of technology called CITYPLAY.
However, Playermaker isn’t the only player in the market. Competitors like Jogo and Xampion use sensors placed in the insole of each boot. Other companies such as Zepp, Next11, and Oliver have developed calf sleeves that players wear under their socks.
Italian analytics company Soccerment has introduced wearable pads known as XSEED, providing advanced analytics at both the mass and professional levels. The growing popularity of this technology at the elite level is highlighted by Soccerment’s recent announcement of Inter Milan full-back Federico Dimarco as a key XSEED ambassador.
Beyond physical data, this technology also employs artificial intelligence to train a neural network that identifies technical events on the pitch — distinguishing between a pass, a cross, or a shot. These events are linked to an app for instant interpretation by the player. Soccerment’s technology recently made headlines by becoming the first company to provide expected goals (xG) metrics from shields.
‘Especially in youth football, having xG helps us understand the decision-making process of a player,’ says Aldo Comi, co-founder and CEO of Soccerment. ‘If you see a player taking shots from 30 metres out, you might question whether they should be doing that, but having that data over time helps you understand the player’s football IQ.’
Like GPS vests, the benefits of lower-body tracking systems extend beyond the individual level. They can also be used for the entire team, providing contextual information about team form, average player positions, and distances. This creates a holistic picture that match analysts can use to evaluate and adjust their tactical approach during the game.
Many of us use technology to track our daily fitness — think Apple Watch, Fitbit, or Garmin Watch. But personal devices are becoming more popular among professional footballers, serving as an additional tool to monitor health, recovery, and sleep.
For instance, Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk has joined the ranks of Cristiano Ronaldo and Beth Mead by wearing a Whoop fitness tracker. The Dutchman recently became an ambassador for the company.
Virgil van Dijk wearing a Whoop wristband on his right arm (Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Barcelona and Spain star Alexia Putellas is known to wear an Oura ring, which tracks heart rate variability, sleep patterns, and fitness levels — all within a piece of jewellery.
Given this, professional athletes would be remiss not to use such technology to optimise their physical performance.
‘At the elite level, even a small issue can affect your entire career,’ explains Owen. ‘Once you’ve had a serious injury, there’s no way back. There’s no room for error. But if you can use technology to improve your decision-making, that’s a huge advantage.’
Thanks to the vast amount of data these devices provide, athletes can monitor their physical condition and rest more effectively. They also offer objective evidence of a player’s performance, which can be useful during contract or transfer negotiations.
‘Players will increasingly use their own data to attract clubs,’ says Comi. ‘Kevin De Bruyne set an example a few years ago, using Analytics FC to extend his contract.’
‘Even if you’re not at the elite level, you now have a tool to track your data and present it to clubs interested in you. This will become more common in the future.’
Simply put, today’s generation of players understands the value of performance data. Advances in sports science and technology have driven these changes, and with the IFAB approving the latest lower-body tracking systems, the future of football is moving in one direction: forward.
