Sports analytics is a powerful tool that has transformed game strategies in 22casino and training practices. Data helps evaluate current results and predict future successes and failures. It is the achievements of analysis at all levels that allow sports to become even more competitive and spectacular.
The origins of the practice date back to the mid-19th century. In the late 1850s, baseball columnist and popularizer Henry Chadwick first published what is called a box score: a structured result of a past match. Such data laid the foundation for further research. In the 1980s, baseball historian and statistician Bill James formalized the study of statistics into a separate field of activity, proposing the term saber metrics.
Analytics in different sports has developed unevenly. For example, in football, it emerged only in the mid-20th century. In the 1950s, European clubs began systematically collecting data on matches, focusing on goals, passes, and shots. In the 1960s, the famous World Soccer magazine was founded in the UK, which was one of the first media outlets to pay attention to statistical research. However, this data was used only for general accounting, without in-depth analysis of the game.
John Mercer, an English accountant and football functionary, is considered one of the pioneers of statistical analysis in football. In the 1960s, he worked at Swindon Town, evaluating the effectiveness of players and the overall strategy. To do this, Mercer introduced the concept of “performance indicators” for each player, which included the accuracy of passes, the number of tackles, and goals scored.
His methods allowed us to go beyond the subjective assessments of coaches. Mercer's work became the basis for the further development of football analytics and influenced the way clubs evaluate players and build strategies.
One of the important milestones in sports analysis was the publication of The Hidden Game of Football (1988) by Bob Carroll, John Thorn, and Pete Palmer, dedicated to the method in American football. Their research opened up the possibility of using more precise and sophisticated methods of analysis related not only to effective actions but also to the physical form of athletes and other hidden indicators.
The 1990s were marked by the integration of video technologies into analytics. At that time, football clubs in Europe used video analysis for the first time, which allowed for a deeper study of game moments. Since then, it has become possible to analyze in detail the movements of players, their positioning on the field, and their interactions with teammates.
Analysis methods and tools
A data analyst in sports uses trackers that monitor the physical performance of players: sprint speed, deceleration rate, and so on. For example, in football, trackers help a coach understand how well an athlete maintains tactical discipline when moving without the ball during intense drills.
Before a match, a specialist studies the behavior of opponents, studying their playing patterns, and develops tactical schemes to exploit the vulnerabilities of the other team. The technology allows you to determine the zones from which the opponent most often scores, and suggest options for defense and counterattacks. The data is transmitted to the coaching staff as visual materials – heat maps or passing patterns.
During the match, analysts are busy adjusting the game in real-time. Thanks to programs, they determine the vulnerabilities of both their team and the opposing team, offer tactical solutions and make forecasts.
The work of analysts after the match is based on careful data collection and the compilation of specialized metrics. In football, for example, the Expected Goals (xG) metric is used, which evaluates the quality of scoring chances, taking into account the distance to the goal, the angle of the shot, and the pressure from the defense. In hockey, the Corsi and Fenwick metrics are used to evaluate puck possession, and in basketball, the player efficiency ratio (PER) shows the contribution of each team member.
Video analysis allows you to analyze matches frame by frame, marking key moments – shots, interceptions, or passes. Players can examine their mistakes in detail and assess development opportunities. For example, a hockey player learns how to better position himself during a power play, and a football player – what actions lead to a failure in defense.
A modern sports match analyst uses a wide range of advanced tools and programs. Here are some of them.
Hudl and Wyscout. Needed for analyzing game recordings – provide a detailed analysis of the course of the match and player performance.
Opta and InStat are statistics aggregators in football, basketball and hockey. These platforms track thousands of events in each match.
Catapult is a leading brand of fitness trackers.
Tableau and Power BI are visualization tools that transform complex data into intuitive dashboards for coaches and management.
