High-Tech Match Analysis
Once upon a time it was considered high tech to videotape a soccer match and analyze it by playing it back, over and over, while marking down key points. If you could determine a weakness or strength in your team, or your opponent's team, it was very beneficial to he coach. The coach could then work on his team's weaknesses or create an attack to exploit the opponent's weaknesses.
Not anymore. This is the computer age and getting the edge over an opponent is no longer as simple as videotaping.
I would like to talk about two new game/match analyzing techniques: First, a friend of mine has created a system of game analyzing that was created from the marriage of the two things he knows best...soccer and statistics.
Carl Hammond has created a system in which games and players are rated with a point system. There are two useful collections of information generated from the point system: A Player's Game Performance Rating (GPR) and a match Momentum Chart.
The GPR is a point value that is earned by each player. The number is the sum of positive/negative values that are assigned over the course of the game to actions that each player performs during the match. For instance, a completed pass to a teammate in the attacking third may earn a +1 value. A bad pass that is intercepted by the opponent may earn a -1 value. Shots, blocks, saves, completed passes, reaching the penalty area, etc. are beneficial to the team and thusly are assigned positive point values. Fouls, penalties, muffed passes, giving up the ball while dribbling are considered detrimental to the team, and therefore generate a negative point value. All positive actions are worth +1 (except saving a penalty kick, which is +2). All negative actions are worth -1 (except earning a red card which is -2). Allowing a penalty kick goal is 0 points. So, to illustrate this concept, if a player took 3 shots, reached the penalty area 2 times, scored 1 goal, gave the ball away 4 times, committed 3 fouls, and drew 6 fouls, the player's GPR would be (+3+2+1-4-3+6=+5) or +5.
The Momentum Chart is generated from the sum of all of the player's GPR's over the course of the match. For example, after 5 minutes, the sum of the GPR's of team A is +5. Five minutes later, it rises to +14. Five minutes later it may drop down to +9. These numbers are then mapped onto a chart that shows point values on an Y (vertical) axis and time played on a X (horizontal) axis. By looking at this chart, the peaks are times of high team momentum, and the valleys represent a slowing of momentum.
The second method of game analysis utilizes the speed and convenience of a personal computer to map the movement of players and teams over the duration of a match.
A single person, who we will call the match analyzer, sits in front of a computer while watching the match. Each of the keys across the first two rows of the keyboard have been labeled with a players number. The top row is team A, and the second row is team B. Each time a player has the ball, the number corresponding to the players jersey, is pressed. At the same time, a mouse is used to map out where the ball is on the field. Since the program is in "real" time, the computer keeps track of which team has the ball, which player has the ball, where on the field the ball is, and at what point in the game the ball is being played.
After each half, the flow of the game can be printed out from the computer. You can also request individual player statistics. A series of dots can be printed showing where on the field a player was during every possession. The information can be requested on any player of either team. The information can also be printed for the entire team or both teams combined, with a different color dot for each team. The true advantage of this system is that the information is almost instantaneously available to the coach. A printout of the first half can be used by the coach to make adjustments for the second half of the match. Also, the range of a player on the field is easily determined by the printout.
For the consummate soccer coach, these are exciting times. The range and availability of soccer coaching aids are at an all-time high. As time continues and electronics become smaller and more impressive, we will see more and more improvements in coaching hardware and software.
I can imagine a time, not too long from now, where each player will wear a tiny transmitter, and a little receiver in the coach's watch will be used to accumulate data that will then be output by a handheld printer. Actually, that time might be tomorrow.
Too bad they don't have anything that cool for analyzing dogs at the playground. With a little effort, we could probably find out a way for dogs to entertain humans with far less effort. Afterall, why should I chase a ball, just so I can bring it back, so it can be thrown again. Oh yeah, congrats to Terry and Jim for the birth of Randee Brooks... I hope she likes doggies. Ciao for Now.
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