In football, we usually use the term analytics as stats, complete with tables and figures. For casual football enthusiasts, analytics may seem like a math class that ruins all the fun. That is why we use football stats instead.
People measure the sport with analytics because other people say that football can't be measured due to its complexity. Even professional analysts and coaches who've spent most of their time watching every game won't look at every game the same way. There are way too many factors and moving parts to pay attention to and it will stress you out if you do! Even if you've spent your whole time studying and rewatching every match over and over again, you still won't remember all the details. But when you start doing that for the opponent's whole season, you'll see that maybe football stats or analytics will be useful for players to maintain their winnings.
Sometimes it's easier to look at the raw data than looking at the actual reports from each football match. But in analytics, we still have to translate all these stats and data and turn them into stories to make it helpful for professionals to improve their game.
History of Football Analytics
The first known football analytics dates back to March 18, 1950, when a retired Royal Air Force officer named Charles Reep recorded a detailed note. Reep was also trained as an accountant and systematically recorded events at a Swindon Town matches.
He wanted to know more than just a record of what and why it happened and use the data to improve the performances of every team. After decades of studying matches, he showed that most goals resulted from possessions of three passes or less, making him think that every team should focus more on simplifying their tactics. During the era of "pattern-weaving" passing style reigned the whole world, Reep was writing headlines like "This Pattern-Weaving Talk is All Bunk!" in his articles.
But Reep's work doesn't always show the right things. It wasn't his data collection but his analysis. In reality, possessions tend to be short, so the more short sequences occur, the more goals will result from them. Reep came up with the theory that "60 per cent of all goal-scoring moves start 35 yards from an opponent's goal," this surely makes us wonder if pattern-weaving was indeed a better way to score more goals.
Charles Reep may not actually be the first pioneer of football analytics. There is always someone on the sideline trying to figure out every match since the first football match in history. Reep's interest was triggered by Herbert Chapman's statistics during his coaching period for Arsenal in the early 1930s. Also, the internet has recently revealed modern-looking, hand-drawn data that dates back to the 1920s.
Today, football data collection is an evolving business, with big companies using human coders and computer vision to look for all the information about every event and match. Whether it's the number of passes, headers, dribbles, fouls, tackles, blocks, shots, and much more, football analysts can collect these raw data and use them to make a reliable model. Nowadays, these data can link onto videos which is revolutionary progress.
What Is Football Analytics For?
The past few years have dramatically increased the development of technologies that support collecting and analyzing data in all sports, including football. Its improvement has grown so fast that the advancement we'll see in the next five years will likely replace the technology we have today.
Due to the dataset's rapid improvement, data analytics applications have also drastically multiplied, making "football analytics" a generic topic nowadays. Below are its main areas of application.
1. Analyze Performances
A performance analysis gives coaches objective information to help optimize their players and team's performances. It involves using software and analytic apps to let analysts tag and code events in matches and help football clubs monitor their game-plans effectiveness.
A performance analysis usually consists of video and data. It is typical today that coaches give their players comments during post-match to explain their mistakes and improve with the help of statistics and video. In the end, looking at objective facts is indeed a more effective way to look at a player's mistake and what they can improve on. A performance analysis consists of the following metrics:
Shot on Target
A shot on target is the intentional shot being made that goes into the net or would have gone in the net if the goalkeeper or last defender had stopped the ball. Shots that go and hit the post or crossbar don't count as shots on target. Also, a shot blocked by a defender that is not the last man also doesn't count, as it can be difficult to tell if it would still reach the net. When a shot is made from taking a corner and the ball goes into the goal without it being touched by other players, it is considered a shot on target. About 1/3 chance of a shot can result in a goal, while the other 2/3 chances end up hitting the post or being saved by the goalkeeper.
Attacks and Dangerous Attacks
Technically, any movement involving the ball getting closer to an opponent's goal is known as an attack. But an attack is considered dangerous when the ball enters the danger zone. A danger zone is an area where most goals are scored which is mainly around the penalty area.
It is proven from football statistics at the World Cup 2018 that 80% of goals were scored from the danger zone. Whenever a team comes to the danger zone with a ball, they will have a better chance of scoring.
Number of Corners
The number of corner kicks won by a team can also show the quality of their attacks. A winning corner kick shows that the attacking team had made a shot on target or at least a dangerous attack. Also, corner kicks are an excellent chance to score a goal.
2. Player Development
Data analytics has also recently played a big role in youth development. This is because objective and measurable feedback can help team players and coaches learn faster and make better development strategies. In other words, data analytics can be a tool that can help predict and discover every player's hidden potential.
3. Prevent Injuries
The early 2000s introduced much research into how we can track training loads and let analysts build solid foundations. Today, all the major clubs monitor their players' positions consistently while tracking velocity with GPS that will allow them to measure "external load" objectively. They use external load tracking to predict the risk of injuries.
Recent findings have revealed that we can predict football players' injuries by looking at their workloads during practice and competition. Analysts found out that the biggest injury risk is when players constantly move too fast over a three-week training period, which means players who run faster per minute in the course of three weeks usually have a larger risk of injury. Sports biomechanics also supports this trend, constantly doing intense running and direction changes may be too harmful to a player.
The Most Important Football Statistics
Nowadays, you can find football stats literally anywhere. Indeed, it's cool to know the numbers of your favourite player's total goals or pass completion percentage. However, which statistics should you be looking at? To make successful bets, it's crucial that you know which stats are relevant and take out the stats you don't need.
The basic stats you should be looking at include the past six matches' data and the head to head (H2H) record for the two teams. Goals are also essential stats you need as goals are the goal! Also, expected goals (XG) is considered a critical metric as it measures the team's goals they can score on average with the number of shots they have taken depending on the areas of the field. The great news is, you can find all these essential stats at APWin. Sign up and get all these benefits for free!
Tech & Football Stats
Technology has made a massive impact on everything we do, even in football betting. Thanks to technological advancement, football betting is now open to everyone instead of only the hardcore fans. The Internet is the main cause of the revolution in sports betting, as it allows bettors to bet anytime they want as the markets are open 24/7.
Due to the internet, mobile or online betting is something bettors use every day. Bettors can install apps from their favourite bookie and place their bets on the go. And when bettors aren't betting, what do they do online? Most likely in social media. It's the new marketing hub for every bookie, and it's probably the place where new bettors find out about their bookie. These techs are improving every day, and the future will likely open for more trends as betting companies continue to revolutionize the space.
In the end, the best use of football analytics is not about measuring a game but understanding it. The big clubs know that these data will answer how they should play instead of how they are playing. We have only listed a few of the numerous basics of analytics for beginners. Stay tuned for more info on the essential analytics and find out more on what analytics can help footballers win more matches!
