Tracking data in scouting

As a scout or scout, within the objective of searching for or identifying players, we have a tool that makes it easier or makes us succeed in speeding up the search, it is about data or metrics of the players.

In this article I will put on the table the means and above all the data or metrics that I use to identify player profiles, it does not mean that they are the most useful, but those that help me the most, each scout uses those that best fit the players or profiles that the teams request, these metrics are the individual game data of each player by games or seasons.

Nowadays we have individual data available on many scouting platforms, the most well-known are wyscout, transfermarkt, instat among others, these platforms are a great help for scouts when looking for players based on performance data, they allow you to delve more quickly into the player's status, how he has been playing in matches, game mapping areas, minutes played and everything you need to know about the player throughout the season and previous seasons, something very important to see the player's overall performance.

The metrics are used by the teams to check the performance of their players in the squad and the scout uses this data to make the same performance report to evaluate the player and be able to decide if he is optimal for the player profile that has been requested, this data is recorded on the platforms by analysts who review all the matches, which makes this data very reliable.

The data that the platforms or analysts indicate to us is very important, the mappings for example indicate the areas that the player covers during the match, the minutes of play, the optimal or failed passes among many other data that we will now try to point out and learn a little more about.

Let's delve into this data, for example a very simple and at the same time very important data is the kilometers traveled, it seems like a simple data or a metric without value but it says a lot about the effort of the player or his dedication in the matches.

If you are looking for a work player, who covers large areas on the field you need to take this metric into account, with this data the importance of having this information is very clearly seen.

You can watch the game and think that a player doesn't play much or doesn't appear in the game with the ball, but once you check the mapping metrics you can see that the player you follow has done more km than anyone else, there you have the clear example, the player you follow seems not to have appeared much in the game but on the contrary he has done more km than anyone else and in the case of a central midfielder for example, this data indicates that this player works both with the ball and without the ball covering the midfield and supporting or closing the central lane, this data if you add it to the game's match viewing you can check this characteristic of the player.

Another data that I use, in this case for defenses, is the number of duels won, even aerial ones. If I look for players who stand out in the aerial game, this metric helps you look for players who cut and are forceful in defense in search of central defenders, this data will be very interesting and if you are looking for a defensive midfielder it will be equally important.

The aerial duels won is very important in the search for strong central defenders with the possibility of using their good aerial game in the corners in their favor.

What can be said about the data on passes, here there are many metrics to choose from and to follow closely, all of them are very interesting.

If before we talked about aerial duels or cutting, here we will monitor the number of passes, for example, the optimal passes without loss, that is, without defensive transition after the pass, but there are many variants. The metric of passes is usually used more for the search for midfielders or players who take the ball out, but it is a metric that we can apply to any player.

In this way, we highlight these very interesting metrics, that of optimal passes that also overcome lines, it is very important to see if the player apart from good ball output has the necessary vision to overcome the lines of the opponent or look for gaps between lines, very important data in players that we need to move the team with the ball.

Another variant of this metric is that of long balls into space, always useful for direct games in teams that go out quickly after recovering the ball and where that direct game with very fast forwards or wingers who look for space behind the defenders prevails.

Within the passes there is one that I like a lot if you are looking for that player who makes the last pass or assists behind the forwards, here it clearly indicates that the player has that vision of the game to give balls with an advantage to his teammates, these players are usually very sought after by all teams.

It is clear that, as we said before, the data to be reviewed is determined by the type of player to be sought, but it is also true that the data helps to discover players. There are players with a high level of successful passes who are playing in positions where they cannot exploit that game and being able to see if this is the case depends on the eye of the scout and the good monitoring of the player. It is also our job to discover players who are versatile and capable of playing in several positions and for this, the metrics are vital.

And of course, we must not forget the goalkeeper metrics, which are vital and very different from the rest of the player data, of course. It is specific information for goalkeepers and helps us to find the best in their position.

The purpose of this data is to help teams and scouts to find players, but not only for them. It is data that even the players themselves review to see the performance or the analysts to indicate to their players what their rivals are like. In the end, it is vital data for modern football that helps the competition and makes it more competitive.

It is important to know how to read the data, understand what it means and how to interpret it on the field. If you are able to correctly identify this data, combined with live or video monitoring of the player, you will be closing the circle on the player you are looking for and it will be easier for you to identify him.

Roberto Segui