The field of sports is extraordinarily competitive, with sports teams from all over the world trying to gather as many tricks under their belt in order to gain the upper hand over their competition.
You either do your best, or you fail, which is a maxim that athletes have taken to heart since before the inauguration of the modern Olympic games. But how do you know what you must improve on? This was previously done with paper-based surveys, although we’ve long learned they aren’t the most effective method of gathering data.
The better option would be to collect data through technology. This is primarily done through a high-quality scouting tool such as a camera, usually used in conjunction with artificial intelligence that can give it commands so that it acts as if operated by a human being.
Whether you’re an athlete, the coach of a professional team, or simply a very passionate sports fan, there is no doubt about the fact that collecting information is imperative to becoming more learned and experienced. That especially goes if you’re an athlete, as you’re expected to improve in every possible aspect of your performance.
Most professional sports teams have a dedicated analytics department that draws data from played-out games so that it can be collated into tangible numbers and figures. They essentially make use of recording equipment and various programs and software to track relevant game factors.
These factors can be anything from the top speed of a player, to the frequency of their heartbeat, to just how tired and fatigued they are. All of these are important, as although they’re quite specific, they form a bigger picture when put together that can provide valuable insight into what needs to be changed or expanded on.
How Do I Start Collecting Soccer Statistics?
Traditionally, you would have done it manually, carefully doing your own calculations with a pen and paper. That’s far from being efficient though, and although similar procedures are still undertaken, the professional sports world has since evolved to make use of high-end technology.
Consider trying to determine the ball possession of a particular game. Which team has had the ball in their possession more than the other? There are many ways in which this can be tracked. A long time ago (although not that long) the location of the ball was tracked by a person called a scorekeeper, who tapped the clock in use whenever the ball switched sides so as to represent it changed possession.
You can imagine how this can be inaccurate, as the reaction time of a human does not quite match the speed at which reality transpires. Forgetting to hit the clock or doing it a fraction of a second later does happen, and more often than you’d think, which completely throws off the accuracy of the data.
Would it surprise you, then, to know that this is still done? Although certain professional sports leagues are fully automated and make use of cutting-edge artificial intelligence, less prolific sports games are almost certainly tracked the traditional way in some aspect or another.
The funny image of a room full of employed sports fans tracking the location of where a ball landed during a game with a computer mouse is more real than you’d imagine. This is not usually the norm, though.
What Is the Best Way to Track Soccer Statistics?
The question very much depends on how far you’re willing to go in order to collect data. You can make use of tracking devices, for example, if you want to keep a close eye on a player’s heart rate. That is a one-time cost that is not likely to resurface until the devices get damaged.
On the other hand, you could also hire a dedicated team of sports fans to keep meticulous track of obscure statistics that are difficult to put a finger on, such as the percentage of aerial balls won or how many goals a team scored above expectation. While this might not be necessary and is certainly expensive, we cannot argue that it really offers a different perspective to tracking statistics.
The most popular way of tracking soccer game statistics, though, is with the use of a program. If you’re looking for the best soccer stats database on the market, then our suggestion would be FeedConstruct’s TopScore. It has a proven track record of providing highly accurate and up-to-date statistics that can be extremely useful to the right people.
The Ball Is In Your Court
You don’t have to keep track of football statistics the archaic way. Through the use of high-tech tracking systems, you can be on top of the information game regardless of the situation you find yourself in. Anytime, anywhere, at the touch of a button.
It’s only a matter of realizing which method is the best for you. Good luck! We know you’ll make the right choice.
