Last week, we reported that Argentina's U23 team was wearing a strange yet possibly revolutionary product on their boots - PlayerMaker. Today we want to take an in-depth look at PlayerMaker.
Basically, it can be said that PlayerMaker is a player’s performance measuring system. In contrast to other performance measuring system (GPS systems), it is especially made for football teams - PlayerMaker analyzes technical skills.
PlayerMaker- Player’s Performance Measuring Boot Sensor
PlayerMaker consists of a special sensor that is applied to a player's boot in order to measure all elements that are important for a footballer - it does not only track the distance a player is covering but much more stats, including the number of touches and passes.
All the measured data can be viewed shortly after a session / match. Coaches and players are able to directly compare the data with other player, previous performances and much more.
PlayerMaker is used by many football teams worldwide, including some Premier League teams as well as teams from MLS. The product is currently making its way to Spain - we would not wonder if we would soon see it regularly in training sessions of many teams.
Below are some questions you might have about the product, as from the company's website FAQ.
PlayerMaker FAQ From Their Website
General
Is the PlayerMaker technology available for other sports?
For now our focus is football only. The PlayerMaker product is designed to provide football teams with the most powerful solution and the best experience. The underlying capabilities of the technology that allows us to track the biomechanics of the lower limbs could be applied to multiple different sports in the future.
What is the price of the system?
Our price varies according to a club’s needs and customisation requirements. We have various packages aimed at different clubs levels which can be viewed here. Our pricing model is an annual subscription per player account, the hardware is provided by PlayerMaker as a service.
Product
Are teams allowed to wear the sensors during official games?
The sensors cannot currently be worn in official matches at first team level throughout the leagues, but at academy level, there are no issues in wearing them in matches.
Does the sensor interfere with the player’s performance during playing?
It’s understandable that with an external product people may think it affects performance. However, the sensor is roughly 3cm and has been specifically designed not to interfere with any ball striking zones on the foot and does not affect a player’s on-pitch performance. Feedback from players wearing the product has been 100% positive. The sensor has been designed by Erez Morag, the specialist responsible for the Nike Mercurial Vapor.
Are the sensors resistant to different weather conditions?
Yes, the sensors have been tested to withstand all weather conditions and elements.
How does PlayerMaker differentiate to GPS?
PlayerMaker measures many more data points and therefore produces a more detailed analysis than GPS products. PlayerMaker includes Distance Driven Data which allows biomechanical analysis and gait tracking of players. Technical and tactical data are also produced for every training session and every match. All of the KPIs you can get from a GPS tool, PlayerMaker can also provide. GPS relies on satellites, products measure the center of mass and the position of the product on a player’s back. PlayerMaker sensors are fixed to a boot and work equally well indoors or outdoors.
Can you view the data live?
No, data cannot be utilised live, however, the data are available roughly 2-5 minutes after a session has finished. There are no time-consuming processes such as lengthy downloads in order to upload the data.
Can I purchase the system for one player only?
It is not currently possible to do this.
PlayerMaker Review Possibly Coming Soon
We will try to test the PlayerMaker gadget for you to see if it fulfills the high expectations. We are especially interested if it anyhow affects the on-pitch performance and how does it feel like in general.
What do you think of the PlayerMaker performance gadget? Would you like your club to have something like this? Share your thoughts in the comments below.