In a game of inches, Raw Stadia can be the difference

Raw Stadia

Raw Stadia is revolutionising the interaction between players and the pitch. The sports technology company – that focuses on surface–player interactions – uses data and analytics to track and measure the playing surface’s condition.

96 per cent of managers and coaches believe that the playing surface influences athletes’ performance and welfare, but there is no technology tracking it. Raw Stadia has entered the conversation. With some eye-watering team valuations in world football, the question could be asked, why isn’t surface technology being used more? According to business insider Forbes, Premier League champions Manchester City had a team value of 4.25 billion dollars (£3.4B). With clubs spending incredible sums of money on players, Raw Stadia has produced the technology to help protect their player investments by measuring the player’s interaction with the surface, and how the quality of the surface fairs before, during and after matches.

Raw Stadia technology operates with user-friendly testing tools being set up on the playing surface to measure key pitch metrics. The testing hardware analyses and collects relevant agronomical data, and sends it to their platform which can be accessed on a computer or mobile device. The weather station tool allows club groundskeepers to track the microclimate inside the stadium and make decisions on its maintenance through data-driven pitch management.  Raw Stadia technology  can analyse pitch density, electrical conductivity, moisture, PH and infiltration. If you want to go more in-depth, grass height, root depth and and how the pitch is absorbing nutrients are all available to analyse.

Players can also benefit from having the innovation made available to them. The pitch can have a key impact on player performance. Raw Stadia technology can measure and monitor the surface conditions and how players are interacting with the playing surface. The Raw artificial athlete tool paired with the Raw rotational traction tester, allows clubs to keep track of all important metrics and gain a clear understanding of how players interact with the surface. Data can be collected from multiple playing surfaces, such as training grounds and the match day ground, and used to determine the best playing surface based on your training needs. Feedback is provided and reported to the Raw Stadia platform from training drills and matches, and the analytics can help players and medical staff make decisions on the management of players.

The advanced technology may sound overwhelming at first, but it is backed by a team of experts specialising in Grounds Management. The Raw Stadia team is led by award-winning Grounds Manager, Reece Watson, who has over 15 years of experience in the management of playing surfaces. Watson is no stranger to the big stage having worked for Premier League club Arsenal. He managed the playing surface in London on his way to founding Raw Stadia alongside co-founder, Jan Stryckers.

Clubs that introduce the technology can expect support from the Raw Stadia team. Experts will come on-site to provide hands on training and advice on how to use the tools and platform. If clubs decide to pursue the technology, they will have access to remote support where they will be guided on how to analyse recorded data. Currently, the renowned technology is used by some of the biggest football clubs in the world – Liverpool, Tottenham and Leicester City to name a few.

In professional sports, the margin for error is slim, and the difference between losing and winning can come down to an inch. Raw Stadia could be that decisive inch. All in all, clubs will expect to see improvements in their surface quality and player performance. The platform, tools, and support provided by Raw Stadia optimise both the pitch and player performances. Football clubs pay an extravagant amount of money to build their teams each year. Raw Stadia is protection on that investment. By reducing the risk of injury whilst optimising performance, Raw Stadia is already establishing itself in professional football. It seems it is not a matter of if, but when we will see them as a more permanent staple in professional sports.

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Football Victoria roll out PlayFootball 2.0 for 2025

Football Victoria and Cleaning Melbourne

Football Victoria has launched PlayFootball v2.0, delivering a comprehensive upgrade to its national registration platform for clubs, players and referees nationwide in 2025.

The modernised system introduces significant improvements, headlined by a complete interface overhaul prioritising accessibility and efficiency for all stakeholders.

The platform’s user-centric design promises to streamline administrative processes across all levels of the sport.

Key enhancements to PlayFootball 2.0 will allow for a modern player and official identification system that will include a sophisticated reporting module.

A notable addition is the integrated Working with Children Check workflow, reinforcing Football Australia’s commitment to child safety protocols.

Football Victoria is spearheading the transition by offering comprehensive training programmes, with both face-to-face and virtual sessions available to club administrators and association officials.

These sessions have been specifically designed to ensure optimal utilisation of the platform’s enhanced capabilities.

Football Victoria Chief Executive Officer Chris Pehlivanis has spoken on this new update and how they see it as crucial for enhancing the footballing experience for participants and clubs.

“We are looking forward to participants having a streamlined registration process while simplifying administration for our Clubs from 2025. FV will work closely with Clubs to ensure they are well supported through the transition and familiar with the benefits of the new system,” he said via press release.

A crucial update to the registration process will require participants to settle both Football Australia and Football Victoria Governing Body Regulation Fees at the point of registration through PlayFootball v2.0.

To help participants adjust to the change, however, PlayFootball is offering 4 different payment models:

  • All Fees Upfront: Club and Regulation fees paid online at the point of registration
  • Regulation Fees Upfront: FA and FV fees paid online at the point of registration
  • Scheduled Payment: FA, FV, Association and the first portion (¼) of the club fee is paid online at the point of registration
  • Subsidised Payment: Club subsidises payment and pays for Governing Body fees on the participant’s behalf at the point of registration

Player eligibility is rewarded upon the successful payment of these governing body fees.

This new program was tested by inviting four Associations, including 34 Clubs and 4,839 players to attend feedback sessions with FV and FA and beta test the new platform.

The invitation for Clubs to explore the What’s Changing Playbook has opened and for further information on all the changes coming to PlayFootball v2.0.

The platform’s updated rollout represents a significant milestone in Football Australia’s ongoing digitalisation strategy, aimed at reducing administrative burden whilst improving service delivery across the football community.

Bepro Cerberus: Revolutionising football data with optical tracking

Professional coaching has rapidly become increasingly intertwined with statistics to optimise maximum performance, driving the need for clubs to employ the latest data innovations to stay competitive.

Bepro is a football statistics and analysis company pushing the cutting edge of football technology, providing an all-in-one analytics platform for clubs across the world.

The company’s headline product – the Cerberus – an AI powered camera, allows for an extraordinary level of football data analysis when combined with Bepro’s software.

Founded in 2015, Bepro has a large reach across the world with offices in nine different countries and has served teams in the EPL, Serie A, LaLiga, Bundesliga, K-League, SPFL, and more.

Most recently, Bepro supported Spain’s ascension to the 2024 European Championship.

However, Bepro also works with a range of amateur clubs, supporting over 2,400 teams across 50 nations.

The Cerberus Camera

The fundamental core of Bepro’s philosophy is the use of video to provide context to statistics.

Bepro links all of its data work back to film recorded by either of its two FIFA grade cameras: the Fixed Camera System or the Cerberus.

Bepro’s cameras utilise AI to power optical tracking technology, enabling the camera to follow the ball without a camera operator. This allows coaches to work with their team instead of being distracted by handling equipment.

Both camera systems feature real time processing, meaning coaches and analysts can instantly assess footage. To enhance this, Bepro cameras can be accessed from multiple devices, and via Bepro’s mobile app.

Additionally, the cameras record in 4k panoramic video to capture more action in higher detail than regular cameras.

Bepro’s video service also supplies a 3D video player, providing coaches a greater level of video analysis.

Although both camera systems incorporate many of the same features, the Cerberus has the key advantage of being portable.

While many would fear a portable camera could run out of charge, the Cerberus features batteries capable of four hours continuous filming. Batteries can then be swiftly changed to ensure clubs do not miss out on valuable footage.

Furthermore, the Cerberus is a resilient platform and can continue to film excellently in poor weather and lighting conditions.

Adding to the Cerberus’ extremely versatility, it not only keenly tracks the ball, but can also film multiple perspectives at once. Through this, coaches can keep an eye on different angles of a training session or game.

Software and Data

Bepro offers three levels of software for clubs to use, ranging from a basic package for amateurs to highly sophisticated software for professionals.

When combined with Bepro’s most expansive package, the Cerberus truly shines.

This package utilises the camera’s optical tracking to gather extensive highly detailed positional and physical data of both teams, not always possible with GPS.

From 90 minutes of football, Bepro cameras can accumulate approximately three million data points, including statistics such as the distance ran, speed and sprint efforts of each individual player.

Through the package, clubs can create visualisations in their footage to showcase pressing patterns, passing triangles and more by spotlighting players or drawing lines and diagrams.

Coaches can then edit these video clips together and send them to players and staff to showcase areas for improvement or successful plays.

Conclusion

While new, the Cerberus has already made a significant impression on world football, becoming the first ever portable optical tracking camera to be certified by FIFA.

The camera passed its certification easily, illustrating its excellence by achieving “Well Above Industry Standard” in the majority of assessments, with no scores below “Above Industry Standard”.

As Bepro continues to develop itself as one of the premiere football analysis organisations, revelations such as the Cerberus will drive the sport into the future.

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