Real-time Analysis of Physical Performance Parameters in Elite Soccer

Abstract

Technology is having vast impact on the sports industry, and in particular soccer. All over the world, soccer teams are adapting digital information systems to quantify performance metrics. The goal is to assess strengths and weaknesses of individual players, training regimes, and play strategies; to improve performance and win games. However, most existing methods rely on post-game analytic. This limits coaches to review games in retrospect without any means to do changes during sessions. In collaboration with an elite soccer club, we have developed Metrix which is a computerized toolkit for coaches to perform realtime monitoring and analysis of the players' performance. Using sensor technology to track movement, performance parameters are instantly available to coaches through a mobile phone client. Metrix provides coaches with a toolkit to individualize training load to different playing positions on the field, or to the player himself. Our results show that Metrix is able to quantify player performance and propagate it to coaches in real-time during a match or practice, i.e., latency is below 100 ms on the field. In our initial user evaluation, the coaches express that this is a valuable asset in day-to-day work.