At a time where football matches are decided by the finest margins, technology looks to give teams an edge over one another – exploiting weaknesses through data extrapolation and analysis.
Stats Perform utilises artificial intelligence to capture and display thousands of data points every single game, which can be used to the benefit of fans, coaches, and players. Their Opta data set is of use to a multitude of audiences, with the ability to tailor data sets to what is applicable to a client. Sportsbooks, broadcasters, and mobile apps are among the many groups that benefit greatly from this data range.
Since 2006, Opta has scanned and filed thousands of events within a single football match. They have come a long way from where they began, and although player tracking is at its most effective it has ever been, there is far more than can be done. Opta comprises all the ‘on-ball’ happenings, passes, shots, duels. The combination of data from events within a match, as well as the live tracking of player movement will greatly benefit clubs who have access to this information.
As Stats Perform looks to improve the service it provides its many clients, the off-ball events are painting a much greater contextual picture for teams and broadcasters to analyse. Tracking player movement, direction, and velocity can showcase defensive efforts, marking, running back on counterattacks, and more. This is revolutionary in the way coaches analyse film, aspects of a game such as off the ball movement were solely subjective analysis from panellists and coaches watching game film themselves.
Captured at the ground in real-time, Opta delivers data to clients in a way which best suits their needs, including historical data, including player and team matchups, as well as cumulative stats across a set time frame. The A.I. dataset is more efficient in both speed and ability to read the game, with pin-point accuracy in player data sets, such as pass conversion rate, allowing coaches to objectively identify key areas of improvement, and areas which can be used more effectively on game day.
Various scenarios can be taken from Opta’s data sets, to replicate on the training ground, as data analysis can showcase what chances have the highest percentage rates of success, expected goals and possession retention, among other desired outcomes for a coach. This also comes as a benefit to broadcasters, who’s half time and full-time analysis can convey to viewers their understanding of the game, backed up by statistical analysis completed in real-time by the A.I. of Opta. This will allow relevant stakeholders to quantify objectively, what was previously impossible to do. The efforts off the ball from players, their decision making in a pass or shooting opportunity, what was the best decision, and did they make it.
Football NSW has partnered with Opta, for the NPL NSW Men’s and Women’s competitions, to further broaden the analysis of teams for broadcasters and commentators of the games. Games are live streamed around the country on NPL.TV, allowing fans around the country to tune in whenever their team is playing, as well as highlight reels after the match. Opta allows commentators to have access to key stats, head-to-head matchups in a game, a season overview, and an in-depth data set for every single player on the field. This gives commentators a variety of talking points, and thus helping Football NSW deliver a better product to their audience.
Stats such as dribbles, duels, set piece conversion rates are all points of interest for a commentator during a game, and is also quite beneficial for coaches to analyse and work on, or look to exploit in their opponent. For instance, data obtained by Opta showcased that the 4 A-League academy sides within the top-flight of the NSW NPL Men’s (Sydney FC, Western Sydney Wanderers, Central Coast Mariners & Bulls Academy) had the worst 4 records in terms of set pieces conceded. This lapse in concentration and physical ability for the younger teams in the competition was continually exploited by the more mature sides in the competition.
Football as we know it is changing rapidly, and with the help of Opta stats, fans can stay up to speed, with broadcasters given the ability to convey the 1000s of data points per match in a succinct and meaningful way, which doesn’t take away from the story of the game but accentuates it ever more.
