It is known to all the implications that new technologies have nowadays in the world of soccer. They have been part of the daily life of professional teams for some years now, and many technical staff would not know how to achieve a high team performance without these technologies.
In the most general branch of technologies applied to the world of soccer, we could group them into four large blocks (taking into account only what influences the game, without taking into account the technologies focused on the fans, such as the club-fan relationship, ticket control, the previews of great soccer games or the management of the soccer club itself). These blocks are conditional aspects, technical-tactical performance, coach planning, and referee support.
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Conditional aspects
This block covers all the aids related to improving the physical condition, in this case, specific to soccer, as well as extracting objective data of variables such as accelerations, braking, distances covered, etc.
The use of the GPS system has been increasing over the last decade to the point where we rarely find any professional team in which a player does not use it, both in training and matches.
On the other hand, this block also covers all the technological complements used for the direct improvement (that is to say, that have an instantaneous repercussion on the person) of the physical capacities of the athlete, for example, the inertial machines of eccentric overload, with instantaneous information of the values of force and power among others or technologies at the service of the physiotherapists and adapters.
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Technical-tactical performance
On the one hand, we have everything related to video analysis, specific software for these, match platforms, and Big Data such as Wyscout, Mediacoach, or InStat. Regarding video analysis, we can highlight programs such as Nacsport, Eric Sport, LongoMatch, or Sportscode.
What is soccer video analysis?
Video analysis is the study of the actions occurring in a soccer match/training, individually or in a group, through videos. The objective is to improve performance through the exhaustive analysis of the actions themselves.
The live observation of a soccer match through your own eyes is insufficient, so video is an essential source of data for coaches and analysts. Once the game is over, it allows you to study the behaviors and patterns of all the elements that make up soccer (own team, rival team, or even referee).
Because of the very visual characteristics of a video, the possibility of sharing information effectively is vastly superior to any other medium.
What are the benefits of soccer video analysis?
- They are not simple video editing tools. Their functionalities allow you to save time amazingly.
- They allow you to have the information stored and organized to your liking by the events you have designed that best suit your needs.
- You will multiply the possibilities of evaluating your team’s performance and making better decisions regarding your players or yourself in the training process.
- They have visual editors to work on your own images.
- There are versions for all budgets.
Nacsport excel coaches
To perform this analysis, we can use different ways of video recording. In recent years, the recording system has been growing through IP cameras, which are installed permanently and can be controlled through a joystick. Finally, in different cases, we have observed some teams, such as Liverpool or Real Madrid, using drones to be able to record freely from the most suitable position.
On the other hand, we find other technologies used directly for player improvements, such as sensory platform devices (e.g., unbolted) or systems created in a facility (e.g., Borussia Dortmund’s “Footbonaut”).
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Planning of the trainer
This section could be included in the technical-tactical performance block, but we differentiate it due to its characteristics and purposes. We approach the technical-tactical performance technology as a complement to this block.
In this one, we find all the tools used by the coach or the whole coaching staff to facilitate their work on a daily basis and for their short-, medium-, and long-term planning.
Examples:
- Spreadsheets for content planning.
- Presentation software for a multitude of functions.
- Virtual management platforms.
- Use of cloud storage services to save and share documents.
- Large format presentations with a projector.
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Referee support
VAR: In the 2018-19 season, refereeing acquired a new technological complement that represented a radical change. We are referring to video refereeing (VAR). Although its effectiveness initially seemed very high, this technology is constantly being questioned concerning its use. In any case, referees are incredibly happy with it, as it facilitates their task and makes soccer a slightly fairer sport.
HALCON SHIP: This system is used in several major European leagues to let the referee know whether or not the ball has crossed the goal line. Through a sophisticated system of cameras and a microchip, it detects with total accuracy whether or not the ball crosses the line. The referee then receives a notification on his watch.