FIFA looks to change the performance narrative with new Football Language tool

December 3 – FIFA is testing its new game analytics tool at the Arab Cup with a view to making the performance data available to all national teams free of charge. The plan is to offer the insights to all teams free of charge during the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

The world governing body says this is a crucial as it drives its mission to help nations in the process of levelling up performance levels and competitiveness on the global stage.

Called FIFA Football Language, the system works with specialists analysing real time date with one member of a team of analysts (based in Newport, Wales) assigned to one player on the field to monitor, track and code individual performance. This includes a player’s movement, with and without the ball, how many times they break through lines of defence, and how much pressure they put on opposition ball carriers.

The result is the collection of more than 15,000 data points that then form the base of the analysis.

Arsène Wenger, FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, said: “The FIFA Football Language is the alphabet of data collection and it helps us to make conclusions [about] what’s happening on the football pitch and to better understand what’s happening on the football pitch.”

“The conclusions, implementable actions, recommendations and insights will then be distributed to technical experts through various programmes or platforms, such as the new FIFA Training Centre, an online football academy,” said FIFA in a press statement.

The data will also be used to enhance the fan experience with packages being planned to be made available to broadcasters of the 2022 World Cup.

Contact the writer of this story at paul.nicholson@insideworldfootball