Global Institute of Sport brings AI-powered football analytics into the classroom

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Image Credits: Global Institute of Sport

Technology has for a long time shaped how football clubs analyse players, prepare for matches and make decisions, and that technology is now officially entering the classroom.

The Global Institute of Sport (GIS) has partnered with Impact Soccer to bring AI and computer vision-powered football analytics into its programs.

The partnership will give GIS students hands-on access to advanced analysis technology, and help students understand how artificial intelligence is changing the modern football industry.

Turning Match Footage Into Data

Football analysis has traditionally relied on coaches and analysts watching hours of video, but that process can now be sped up by artificial intelligence.

Impact Soccer uses computer vision and AI to analyse football footage, with its technology able to turn player actions and movements into structured data. The system can also analyse what happens away from the ball. It’s possible to connect YouTube content or upload your own, which Impact Soccer then analyses.

Preparing the Next Generation

Not every important action involves the ball. Players constantly move into space, create passing options and make runs that affect defenders, but these actions can be difficult to measure manually.

Impact Soccer’s technology aims to quantify this off-the-ball influence. Its Impact IQ platform analyses player positioning and movement to provide more information about their impact on the game.

For students, this creates new ways to study football. They can look beyond simple goals, assists and passes and explore how movement and positioning affect a team’s performance. This allows GIS students better access to information that ensures the coaches of tomorrow can make more informed decisions. The partnership is also beneficial for tomorrow’s administrators: sporting directors and scouts also able to gain a broader reading on players where they may or may not spend their club’s finances.

Adding the Next Layer

Football clubs continue to invest in data and technology. Computer vision can track players. GPS systems measure movement. Video analysis helps coaches study matches.

AI is now adding another layer. Students entering the industry will increasingly encounter these technologies in their daily work, and this prior experience during their education can help prepare them for that environment.

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The ball is no longer just being improved it is being connected

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The humble football is becoming one of the more technologically advanced objects on a football pitch.

Across the A-Leagues, Mitre’s new Ultimax Pro is focused on improving what happens when the ball is kicked, while LaLiga has taken the next step by turning the ball into a source of live match data.

The contrast shows how football technology is moving in two directions at once, improving the physical performance of equipment while increasingly connecting it to the digital systems surrounding the game.

Refining the Physical Object: Mitre’s Ultimax Pro

The Ultimax Pro, which will be used across the 2026/27 A-League Men and Ninja A-League Women seasons, incorporates Mitre’s HyperFlow, HyperFoam, HyperSeal and Delta Skin technologies.

Its debossed grooves are designed to reduce drag and improve stability in flight, while the cushioning, bonding and surface technologies are aimed at producing consistent rebound, durability and control. The ball carries FIFA Quality Pro certification, reflecting the testing standards required for professional match balls.

The technology is largely invisible to supporters. Its purpose is to make the ball behave more predictably for players, rather than fundamentally changing the football itself.

Connecting the Ball to the Digital Ecosystem: LaLiga’s Sensor-Driven Approach

LaLiga’s approach is different.

The Spanish competition has introduced a radio-frequency sensor developed by KINEXON into its PUMA match ball, with the technology being used across every LaLiga EA Sports fixture this season.

The sensor continuously transmits information about the ball’s position and the precise moment of contact. Around 12 antennas installed in each stadium capture the data and feed it into LaLiga’s wider technology infrastructure.

That gives the ball a role beyond simply being the object of play.

Knowing exactly when the ball is touched can help officials in a variety of situations. Offside, handballs, deflections and other decisions where a difference of milliseconds can affect the outcome could all benefit.

But the more interesting development may sit outside officiating.

LaLiga is using the connected ball to create xBALL, an official data layer that can feed broadcasts, digital products and future second-screen experiences. Data such as shot speed, ball spin and trajectory could all be incorporated into its media and digital products.

The ball is no longer just something that manufacturers compete to make faster, more durable or more responsive. It can also become a source of proprietary data that leagues can use to improve broadcasts, develop digital products and create new ways for supporters to understand the game.

The Ball as Part of Football’s Intelligence Layer

Mitre is refining the physical object. LaLiga is connecting that object to the digital ecosystem of the match.

Together, however, they point to the same direction of travel.

Football equipment is becoming increasingly intelligent.

The evolution is not necessarily about adding technology for its own sake. In the A-Leagues, the objective is consistency: predictable flight, touch and rebound. In LaLiga, the objective is precision and information: knowing exactly where the ball is and when it was touched.

The commercial opportunity comes from what can be built around those capabilities.

As stadiums become more connected, broadcasts become more data-rich and clubs and leagues collect increasingly detailed information about matches, the football itself can become another input into that infrastructure.

It also changes the relationship between equipment manufacturers and competitions.

A match ball used to be primarily a physical product supplied to a league. Connected technology creates the possibility of the ball becoming part of a broader technology stack involving officiating systems, broadcast platforms, analytics and fan-facing digital products.

The A-Leagues are starting with the physical performance of the ball. LaLiga is showing what can happen when that physical object becomes connected.

The next generation of football technology may not be something players wear or referees use.

It may be the ball itself.

GIS Sydney connects students with Australia’s sporting industry

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Image Credit: Global Institute of Sport

The Global Institute of Sport (GIS) is giving students new opportunities to build careers in Australia’s growing sports industry. Combining academic study with direct access to sporting organisations, venues and industry professionals. Based at Allianz Stadium and the Sydney Cricket Ground, GIS Sydney places students at the heart of Australia’s sporting landscape. The campus gives students the chance to study while surrounded by major sporting organisations and events, creating a direct connection between education and the industry they hope to join.

Students also benefit from regular access to experienced sports professionals. More than 50 guest speakers have shared their expertise with GIS students, including representatives from FIFA, Red Bull, Cricket Australia and the AFL. These sessions give students a valuable insight into the different roles and career pathways available across the sports sector. GIS Sydney delivers programs including Sports Analytics and International Sports Business in partnership with the University of Newcastle. The courses combine academic learning with opportunities for students to develop practical skills that they can take into the workplace.

Industry experience forms another important part of the student journey. GIS provides students with 140 hours of relevant work experience, allowing them to apply their knowledge in professional settings. Students have secured placements with organisations including the Professional Football Scouts Association, Football Coaches Australia and Basketball NSW.

GIS also works with Yakka Sport to create paid employment opportunities for students while they study. This allows students to gain workplace experience while developing professional networks within the sporting community. The opportunities extend internationally, with GIS Global Sports Summits giving students access to sporting organisations and venues in destinations including London and Miami.

For students pursuing careers in sport, GIS Sydney is creating a pathway that combines education, practical experience and industry connections. By bringing students closer to the people and organisations shaping the sector, GIS is helping the next generation turn their interest in sport into professional opportunities.

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