Football video analysis: a practical guide for semi-professional clubs

What football video analysis is

It's reviewing match footage, your own and your opponent's, to understand what happened and prepare for the next game. The analyst or the coach finds the moments that matter (a build-up, a press, a turnover), cuts them into clips and shows them to the team.

The hard part isn't watching the match: it's finding those moments in ninety minutes of video and having them ready for the first training session of the week.

The analyst's week

1. After the match

   Upload the full recording. The sooner the better: the review is at the start of the week.

2. The review

   Go through your own match by phase and pick a few clips: what went well and what needs fixing.

3. The next opponent

   Midweek, study two or three of the opponent's matches: how they build up, how they press, their set pieces.

4. The team talk

   Before the match, a short talk: a few clips and a clear message for each line.

How to film a match for analysis

Good analysis starts with a good recording. This is what works best:

• Fixed and raised

  Around six metres high, level with the halfway line, with most of the pitch in shot.

• No zoom, no replays

  Cuts and zooms lose track of the players. A stable TV feed also works.

• 1080p is enough

  You don't need 4K to see tactics. At 1080p, though, shirt numbers can't be read reliably.

• The whole match

  Film both halves in full, without cutting play. In poor light, the ball is harder to see.

Analysing by phases of play

The most useful way to sort a match is by phases of play: in possession, out of possession, both transitions and set pieces. Each clip then answers a specific coaching question: do we play out well from the back? Do we press together? What happens in the seconds after we lose the ball?

Watching phases in blocks (every build-up in a row, every press in a row) shows patterns you don't see one move at a time.

Which tool to use

There are four kinds of tool and they aren't exclusive: many clubs film with one and analyse with another. Tactica doesn't film: it works with your match recording.

How to prepare for the next opponent

1. Get their matches

   Two or three recent matches are enough to see what they repeat.

2. Watch by phases

   Build-up, pressing, transitions and set pieces, each phase in a block.

3. Look for patterns

   Not the one-off move, but what they do every match: where they build up, who they look for, how they defend corners.

4. Pick few clips

   Five to ten well-chosen clips say more than forty.

How Tactica does it

Tactica does the cutting: upload the match, mark each kick-off and, usually the same day, you have the phases as clips, your team's and your opponent's. You review, pick and present. See how it works.

Frequently asked questions