Signality: The ultimate analysis and coaching source

Signality has built an artificial intelligence (AI) platform that gives clubs, leagues and federations real-time data which makes it easier to access statistics from games.

The Swedish-based company has created a system that gives an array of insights to use, free from the hassle of manually setting up cameras or using wearables – saving time and costs on installation that normally come with this type of equipment.

“We have built the world’s first fully automated player and ball tracking platform dedicated for football,” Michael Hoglund said, vice-president of marketing and growth at Signality.

“We don’t require operators manning a system, our AI takes care of capturing and analysing everything from kick-off to half-time, end of the game, and all the 3.5 million data points that occur in between as the game is being played.”

Signality’s data collection takes that responsibility away from coaches and analysts to keep up, capable of recording clearer and more accurate data in the process.

It’s collected in real-time, meaning there’s no need for coding windows, wearables or filming games – it is all done through the power of AI. Signality uses LiveInsight as a way to present all the very best data a coach or analyst could want.

“We are doing individual player tracking in real-time, with a fully automated process,” Hoglund said.

“Our clubs can now access detailed stats and player specific videos within five seconds of an event happening.

“All this is shared as raw data to our customers or through our cloud video and analytics platform, LiveInsight.

“As we collect three and a half million data points per match, LiveInsight is the product we use for clubs to make sense of this data – they determine the information that is displayed there and then the data is collected and displayed automatically – as reports and as playlists with video.

“The massive data-set is made up of the position and identity of all the players (even the referee) 25 times per second.”

Clubs can then have more flexibility about how they use data for all players, as individual performances are analysed.

While it may seem complex to record and track each player’s movement on the pitch, Signality makes this process a whole lot easier.

“We enable the analyst to easily string together complex data-filters that will then automatically populate and generate videos and reports as the game is being played on the field,” Hoglund said.

“For example, an analyst or coach might request for LiveInsight to show video of all the times that their right-back/number two, passed to their striker, number nine, for the last five games.

“LiveInsight will instantly extract those instances with video clips and associated data. We want to enable coaches and analysts to be able to focus more on the insights, rather than spending lots of times doing manual work with tagging, coding, and filming.

“That’s what an AI excels at, automating asks. We want to make analysts and coaches feel comfortable in offloading some of that ‘grunt work’ to us, being that support that frees up time, having their back when it’s crunch time.”

LiveInsight has been built to extract data from automatically recorded video to generate highlights.

It shows exactly how many times a player has touched the ball in different areas of the pitch, giving instant results that analysts and coaches can immediately use.

“For analysts this is a total game changer, saving them hours each week tagging. It also frees them up during games to focus on the game rather than filming it,” Hoglund said.

“Professional football analysts are almost always extremely well educated, and we think our system can make better use of their abundant skill sets.

LiveInsight has proved successful for clubs as they can make full use of their data through automatically tagged video.

“The very nature of ‘machine learning’ means that our product gets better over time,” Hoglund said.

“We’ll be even more accurate than we currently are at measuring player speeds and distances, dribbles, possession per zone, pass success rates etc.

“Human motion analysis directly from the video is another field we see a lot of exciting use cases for it by using joint detection, gait analysis, and player vision field of view.

Many elite clubs in Europe have turned to Signality for data that is less likely to have errors. With automatic insights, it is a more effective alternative than wearables, which can only extract data for a club’s own team, not the opposition or ball.

It leads to much deeper tactical analysis for every second of a match.

“We’re looking to work with innovative club coaches and analysts who want to get better, faster data,” Hoglund said.

“Any club who feel their analysts can make better use of their skills for match analysis and preparation, as well as opposition scouting.”

You can find out more on Signality here.

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Liam Watson is the Co-Founder & Publisher of Soccerscene. He reports widely on football policy, industry matters and technology.

Premier League Productions combine with Genius Sports to bring Premier League Data Zone

Premier League Data Zone

Genius Sports Limited, Football DataCo’s Official Tracking Provider, has announced a new relationship with Premier League Productions (PLP) to improve live broadcasts for fans in over 185 countries across the world through rich tracking data insights and data-driven augmentations.

PLP creates and distributes all of the Premier League’s overseas content, including the telecast of all 380 league matches each season. PLP broadcasts now include a live ‘Premier League Data Zone’ viewing option, bringing fans closer to the action with rich data and tracking metrics in a highlighted match every match round as part of a cooperation between PLP, the Premier League, Football DataCo, and Genius Sports.

Everything from player names to passing accuracy, shooting velocity, sprints, total distance travelled, touches in the final third, and field maps is integrated into live broadcasts via a distinctive L-bar, answering the ever-increasing demand for data-driven insights among Premier League fans worldwide.

To enhance the fan entertainment experience, Data Zone will also include official Fantasy Premier League updates and standings.

Genius Sports CEO Mark Locke spoke on the deal and what it meant for both parties.

“Through Premier League Productions and their international broadcast partners, Genius Sports is revolutionising the viewing experience for millions of Premier League fans around the world,” he stated via press release.

“Powered by our Second Spectrum AI technology, we deliver an enriched visual experience with advanced analytics and key performance metrics in the live broadcast.”

Genius Sports is also FDC’s authorised supplier of official live data to the worldwide sports betting business, offering the most up-to-date and accurate feed on all Premier League, English Football League, and Scottish Professional Football League games.

Genius Sports’ Second Spectrum technology provides enhanced, data-driven Premier League, NFL, and NBA broadcasts on CBS, ESPN, NBA League Pass, and TSN.

U.S. Soccer and Ticketmaster to streamline the match day experience

U.S. Soccer and Ticketmaster

U.S. Soccer have recently announced a strategic partnership with Ticketmaster to become the Federation’s official ticketing partner for the next several years.

The partnership is set to use Ticketmaster’s industry-leading technology to support all ticketing initiatives and solutions with a goal to enhance the match day experience for fans at the stadium.

Ticketmaster is one of the world’s largest ticket sales and distribution companies. They have serviced millions of events across many different countries they operate in, providing a quick and reliable online service for fans that is focused mainly on convenience.

There is an unprecedented line-up of soccer events coming to the United States over the next few years and the Federation is being proactive in its approach to ensure a reliable ticketing service.

The features being brought in will be a fresh change for fans who have previously struggled acquiring tickets to matches because of the multitude of unreliable services that were selling them outside of the U.S. Soccer website.

Ticketmaster plan to incorporate features such as mobile app integrations, use of a 3D Interactive Seat Map to enhance seat selection, and the ability to save tickets to mobile devices which eases access at the gates.

U.S. Soccer and Ticketmaster will also recognise fans through custom content that will highlight the undying commitment of fans and their journeys to U.S. Soccer-controlled events, including U.S. Women’s and Men’s National Team matches, and create unforgettable moments through engaging sweepstakes.

U.S. Soccer Chief Commercial Officer David Wright expressed his excitement for what the partnership was going to bring to U.S. Soccer

“Fans are the heartbeat of our business. Supporting our commitment to super-serve our passionate fans, we are excited to partner with Ticketmaster in our efforts to enhance the customer experience,” he said in a U.S. Soccer press release

“Ticketmaster has been at the forefront of technology and innovation in this space for years and is the perfect match as we continue to elevate and evolve as a property.”

Ticketmaster Executive Vice President & Co-Head of Sports Clay Luter explained how the partnership was going to improve fan engagement.

“The expansion of our partnership with U.S. Soccer is a testament to our commitment to celebrating passionate soccer fans,” he added via press release.

“As the game’s popularity continues to rise, we’re eager to take engagement and connectivity to the next level while actively discovering and connecting with new fans. Through our platform, we’ll deliver must-have ticketing solutions, unique content and innovations that further fuel the interest in soccer across the country.”

The focus on fan engagement through augmented reality and app activations is a fantastic touch from the U.S. Soccer Federation, doing something that Australia has yet to attempt.

The country would definitely benefit by following the U.S. in their fan-first mentality, with an overall goal of making the matchday experience memorable and addictive, especially off the back of the Matildas World Cup success story.

This partnership is attempting to put the building blocks in to ensure crowd numbers are healthy as this new generation of soccer fans start to emerge. It is very strategic and has a forward outlook that must be applauded.

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