In football analytics, two main types of data are used to analyze matches: Eventing and Tracking. Both are crucial, but they serve different purposes and provide unique insights. Here’s a simple breakdown of each:

Eventing Data

What is Eventing?

Eventing data captures all on-ball actions during a match, both attacking and defensive. Each event (like a pass, shot, or tackle) is recorded with its x, y coordinates on the pitch.

How Much Data?

Each match generates between 1,500 and 3,000 events, covering actions like passes, shots, tackles, saves, and more.

Uses of Eventing Data:

Calculating basic stats like Expected Goals (xG).

Creating heatmaps and passing charts.

Widely used by data analysts to understand team and player performance.

Availability:
Eventing data is the most accessible and is used across many leagues and competitions. It’s available on popular sites like FBREF, WhoScored, and Fotmob.

Providers:
Major providers include STATS Perform-Opta, Hudl Wyscout, Statsbomb, and others.

Eventing for Reports:
Eventing data helps providers generate match reports that coaches and analysts use. These reports might include insights like which flank was most dangerous in an attack or summaries of how a team performed across an entire competition.

2. Tracking Data

• What is Tracking?
  Tracking data records the position of all players and the ball, 25 times per second, across the entire pitch. It tracks x, y coordinates for players and x, y, z coordinates for the ball.
• How Much Data?
  A single match can generate between 3-4 million rows of data! This includes player positions, speed, acceleration, and movement patterns.
• Uses of Tracking Data:
  • Data Scientists and Engineers use it to study complex movements and patterns.
  • Helps analyze player positioning, speed, and movement but doesn’t label specific events like passes or shots.
• Availability:
  Tracking data is not as widely available as eventing data, limited to a few competitions. It requires special infrastructure to store and analyze due to the massive volume of data.
• Providers:
  Major providers include Second Spectrum, TRACAB ChyronHego, and STATS Perform SportVU.
• Example of Tracking Data:
  A single frame of tracking data can include:
  • Frame number: The point in time the data was captured.
  • Ball Possession: Whether the home or away team has the ball.
  • Ball Status: Whether the ball is in play (alive) or out (dead).
  • Player Coordinates: The exact position of each player and the ball.
  • Speed: How fast a player is moving.

Combining Eventing and Tracking Data

By combining eventing and tracking data, analysts can unlock deeper insights. For example, for a shot event, they can add information like:

• Distance to the closest defender.
• Passing options available.
• Number of defenders between the shooter and goal.
• Shot velocity and distance from the goal.

This combination helps teams get a more complete picture of what’s happening on the pitch and make more informed decisions.

Enhancing the Spectator Experience

Tracking data also improves the viewing experience for fans. With real-time statistics and player positions layered onto broadcasts, spectators get a richer understanding of the game as it unfolds.