An introduction to Sports Performance Analysis

An introduction to Sports Performance Analysis

Introduction

Sports Performance Analysis is a relatively new discipline that can be used in most team sports: football, rugby, hockey, basketball, baseball, soccer etc.

Sports Performance Analysis enables you to optimise player and team performances, and to gain the competitive edge.

It is sometimes referred to as Match Tagging or Coding.

In this article we will look at the four steps involved in Sports Performance Analysis: observation, analysis, evaluation and feedback.

Observation

Sports Performance Analysis is the science of creating a record of performances for teams and individual players. This is done systematically observing your team and your players during a match or training session with a view to improving game plans, strategies and performances.

Recording the observations you, or your analyst, make during a match generally involves using software like iSportsAnalysis.

Sports Performance Analysis can be performed live, while a match is playing, and can be done after the match has been played.

Observations are recorded by using a code window which contains buttons representing events that happen in your match. These might indicate goals, attempts on goals, fouls, red cards, yellow cards etc.

If observations are recorded after the match has been played the code window will be used alongside a video of your match.

The process of observing events in a match generally relies on two sports science disciplines:

1. Match Analysis in which the analyst records aspects of team performances
2. Bio-mechanics which involves observing the impact of body movements on a player

Analysis

Having observed and recorded events in a match, match tagging software is generally used to generate reports. Reports are usually based on what your coaches, or sports scientists need to help optimise game plans and strategies.

Reports can include metrics like home possession percentages, away possession percentages, attempts on goal by home and away teams, fouls by home and away teams etc.

These metrics can provide deep insights into the performances of both the home and away teams.
Once you have generated your reports you can start analysing and evaluating the effectiveness of your team and player strategies, game plans and overall performances.

Feedback

Constructive feedback which demonstrates improvements in team and player performances both motivates and encourages.

Feedback can be a powerful and effective tool which helps team members understand the benefits of the training regimes you have put in place. Using reports generated from match observation helps players visualise improvements and can be an effective learning tool.

Conclusion

Sports Performance Analysis is an effective discipline which helps to optimise individual player and team performances. It is the science of recording events that happen in your match and this is comprised of four steps:

The observation of your match, the analysis of your match – which includes generating reports from recorded events in your match, the evaluation of your match and the ability to provide players and teams with constructive feedback they can learn from.

Events observed in your match are usually recorded using software like iSportsAnalysis, SportsCode, NacSport and Dartfish.

Sports Performance Analysis is used by most, if not all, major league clubs in all sports. It is becoming more commonplace in universities, colleges, schools and grass roots clubs. This is due to the recognised effectiveness of Sports Performance Analysis, and it being affordable because of companies like iSportsAnalysis.