Initially, some people were feeling funny about that tank top, but it became the norm very quickly in the mid-2010s. These are the soccer-specific sensors that I am aware of that are in the market or soon to be available.

The ‘ Physical‘ aspects are simply the number of walks, runs, high-intensity runs, sprints, accelerations and decelerations.By around 2010, with a few other products in the market (VX Sports, Zephyr, Polar etc), athlete tracking has gained a bit more traction in the world, and also got into other team sports such as soccer and (field) hockey. Neither option was great, but now we can pull all that together in 20 minutes and even go a step further to actually filter those goal kicks by outcome, type, distance etc to get those we know they will actually want to see. Analytics: Through the metrics of every player, the system provides a profile of each individual player rating them according to their skills, technique, power, endurance, performance and development progress. Learn how to identify development opportunities and implement strategies with our training newsletters to help you improve even further. The data from each training session is recorded in spreadsheets that allow the sports scientists to see changes in performance over time and spot any significant declines or improvements in a player’s fitness levels.

So, with all the options on the market, we wanted to take a moment to break down how Playermaker’s trackers compare with some of the most popular tracking systems out there: the GPS vests. As used by professional players at the highest level, the STATSports Youth Athlete Series GPS Performance Tracker gives you a complete picture of your performance, providing real-time data to your phone across 16 key metrics. Track your team and players' progression with GPS performance trackers, adjust weekly training plans, manage player load and make better informed decisions quickly to maximise team performance.Let’s say we are looking at the data and we see that the metres per minute is quite high for a player and then over a five-minute period it starts reducing. Used in conjunction with innovative data visualisation software, Stats Perform is providing clubs with a comprehensive resource for intelligently managing player load, both at the training ground and on match day.

Even within each type of sensor, there are some variations in their solutions or additional features. But if a player were to use one sensor for the first 6 months and then swap to another type or brand of the sensor for the next 6 months, they won’t be able to make a proper comparison. For ‘Athletics’ metrics, they consist of activity time, distance travelled, maximum speed, sprints, accelerations and decelerations, jogging and walking distance. Answering these questions is at the heart of empowering individuals to make informed decisions about their training focus and routines and ultimately allowing individuals to unlock their full performance potential.We use the information from this technology to try to prevent soft-tissue injuries, highlight If a player is overtraining, and ensure that players are training within the correct training zones. While using both devices can provide a broader perspective on your performance, opting for a soccer fitness tracker remains a wise choice for players seeking the most relevant and comprehensive data to enhance their game. They do this by collecting a player’s training and performance data on and off the pitch, interpreting that data and identifying areas where individual players can improve or where their strengths are. It can provide overall team performance and the ability to compare performance against professional athletes. Also, interestingly, the Oliver sensors only capture IMU data (from accelerometers and gyroscopes) at 50Hz while most other sensors do it at 100Hz.