# AI & Machine Learning in Football · Football Level 10: Professional

Football · Level 10: Professional · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/football/level-10/ai-machine-learning-in-football/)

AI & Machine Learning in Football in Football (Level 10: Professional) on Insporta: 100 sourced facts behind 10 tests. Covers: tracking from cameras; and more.

How AI and machine learning are used in football: tracking from cameras and TV pictures, TacticAI, the models behind xG, the connected ball, scouting, integrity, data rights, media and the contested claims.

## Test 1: Tracking from cameras

- Event data logs actions; tracking logs positions, usually about 25 times a second. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- It lets analysts track leagues without cameras installed in the stadium. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- The camera follows the ball, so players far from it are often off screen. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- Hawk-Eye began in cricket and tennis before its goal-line and VAR systems. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- Once detected in each frame, positions are linked into paths over time. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- Calibration maps each camera's pixels onto real pitch coordinates. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- That context is what models of space and pressure are built on. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- Errors are cleaned before the data goes to clubs or broadcasters. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- The ball's sensor is what lets referees time the moment of a touch. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- Hawk-Eye itself was founded in England. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)

## Test 2: TacticAI and corner kicks

- The research appeared in Nature Communications in March 2024. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- It could also suggest how to move players to change the likely outcome. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- The experts compared its suggestions with what had actually happened, without knowing which was which. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- Set pieces have fixed starting points, so the model can compare like with like. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- Graph networks suit problems where the relations between players matter. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- It proposed combining statistics, computer vision and game theory. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- Like any model trained on history, it is weakest against something new. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- The expert check was how the researchers tested the model. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- The model reads the set-up and predicts what follows it. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- Predicting the first receiver was one of the model's main tasks. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)

## Test 3: Machine learning behind xG

- Each shot's features are linked to its outcome, goal or no goal. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- It turns shot features into a probability between 0 and 1; gradient boosting is another common choice. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- A model that fits last season perfectly may still forecast next season poorly. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- Holding back a test set is the standard guard against overfitting. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- Calibration checks that the probabilities match what actually happens. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- Rare outcomes need a lot of data before patterns become reliable. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- Body part, type of assist and defensive pressure are other common features. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- Testing on unseen data comes last, before the model is trusted. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- Headers are harder to score; a penalty is usually valued around 0.76-0.79. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- With roughly one shot in ten going in, the model learns mostly from misses. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)

## Test 4: The connected ball at Euro 2024

- The sensor picked up the ball touching Loïs Openda's hand in the build-up. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- The touch on his hand showed up in the ball's data during the VAR review. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- The touch data supports offside and handball decisions. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- A few hundredths of a second can move an attacker from onside to offside. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- The referee still judges whether the handball is an offence under the Laws. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- Al Rihla was the 2022 World Cup ball, Uniforia the Euro 2020 ball and Brazuca the 2014 World Cup ball. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- Cricket's system detects edges from the sound; the ball detects touches from its sensor. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- The decision stays with the referee. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- 2014 World Cup, 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- Both of the cases above were at the tournament in Germany. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)

## Test 5: From stadium cameras to TV pictures

- Scouts can compare players in many leagues on the same measures. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- Models guess the missing positions from where players were before and after. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- It matches the frame rate of the video the positions come from. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- Limb positions matter for offside and for how a player shapes to pass. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- A player can look faster in one league simply because of the system used. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- It turns positions and speeds into a map of space each team controls. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- Good positioning can stop an attack without any recorded action. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- Each step adds more information about each moment. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- The data narrows the list; scouts still watch the players. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)
- Advances in computer vision made broadcast tracking practical. (Source: Published research (Nature Communications 2024, DeepMind and Liverpool); provider and competition announcements; analytics literature)

## Test 6: AI in scouting and recruitment

- Differences in style and quality make numbers from other leagues harder to read. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- A creative midfielder in a side that rarely attacks will produce few chances on paper. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- A model tested with future information looks better than it really is. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- Staff are more likely to trust, and to question, a model whose reasons they can see. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- Data narrows the list; people judge what the numbers cannot capture. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- The profile might ask for a left-footed centre-back under 24 who carries the ball. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- A few good matches can make a player look far better than he is. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- The final decision stays with the club's recruitment staff. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- Event data is collected for far more leagues than any kind of tracking. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- It was set up in Paris in 2016. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)

## Test 7: Integrity, betting and data

- Unusual patterns trigger an alert for investigators to check. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- It monitors betting markets on matches across European football. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- Investigators look for other evidence before any charge. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- Betting on single events makes this kind of fixing possible. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- Monitoring focuses on these markets for that reason. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- He returned to play in January 2024. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- Fagioli was also banned in the same investigation, for a shorter spell. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- Most alerts end at the review stage. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- 2017, 2023 and 2024. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- Its headquarters are in St. Gallen. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)

## Test 8: Players and their data

- The players argued that firms profited from their performance data without consent. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- Clubs and data firms must protect it more strictly than ordinary statistics. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- Leagues sell data rights to media, clubs and betting firms. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- Unions also want clear rules on who can see health data. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- Speed and official status matter most for in-play betting. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- A single official feed also helps integrity monitoring. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- Transparency is one of the basic principles of European data law. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- Each step is covered by contracts over who may use the data. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- Public match statistics are the least sensitive; health data the most. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- The GDPR gave people, players included, more control over data held about them. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)

## Test 9: AI in media and broadcasting

- Crowd noise and commentary volume help mark goals and chances. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- Top speeds and distances covered are now common on screen. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- An editor is still needed to check facts and context. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- Models update the chances after goals, cards and the passing of time. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- Clubs increasingly check and report fake content quickly. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- Clubs with worldwide fan bases use it for news and social media. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- Tracking and event data feed the statistics these apps show. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- The whole chain can run within minutes of the final whistle. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- The last two arrived with video review and modern data models. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- The metrics included line breaks and receptions between the lines. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)

## Test 10: Contested claims about AI in football

- Most clubs use data alongside scouts rather than instead of them. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- A model tuned to yesterday's football can drift as tactics change. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- Published studies have not shown reliable predictions for individual players. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- The gap in resources may widen rather than narrow. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- Success stories are easier to see than the clubs that used data and failed. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- An advantage from data lasts only while rivals do not have it. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- A sophisticated model that cannot beat a simple rule is not worth trusting. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- Claims that survive all four steps deserve more trust. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- Even semi-automated offside leaves the final decision to the officials. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)
- Automation bias is trusting a machine's output even when it is wrong. (Source: Provider, league and governing-body announcements; disciplinary decisions; analytics and data-protection literature)

Sources: IFAB, FIFA and UEFA regulations and reports / club and federation statements / published coaching literature / peer-reviewed studies / contemporary reporting

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