FIFA’s HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT!

September 22, 2023

And just like that it is nearly the weekend. Look, after a huge week in the world of sport there was ALWAYS going to be some news you may have missed… Luckily, that’s exactly why we’re here. Enjoy!

Here's what we got for ya today:

  • FIFA’s HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT!

  • Injuries: How to Stop Them

  • Tiktok Did WHAT!?

  • UEFA are Back at it…

Most Valuable Sports Teams:

Let's get into it!

The Future is NOW!

Let’s not beat around the bush here. The level professional Football is currently being played at has never been higher.

With the game’s global appeal growing rapidly, investment is increasing and the difference between winning and losing is huge…

Being the case, teams have to be seriously on top of things…

From its use in recruitment, to training, and in-match performance, data tracking and analysis is becoming a standard fix in the modern game…

And guess what? It looks like it may just be getting an upgrade.

That’s right. For the first time ever, FIFA has allowed teams to use wearable lower limb tracking technology in official matches. Here’s what we know so far:

  • Approving the technology made by industry experts, PlayerMaker, the product has been approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) and became certified as FIFA quality just this week.

  • Strapping onto players’ boots, the system is able to uniquely monitor a number of attributes that relate to both technical and physical performance.

  • Specifically, statistics such as time on the ball, technical balance, kicking power, speed, distance, velocity, and more will be covered.

  • While other forms of performance tracking already exist, they tend to focus on physical data and only give analysts an idea of certain areas of performance.

Having already worked with 200 of the world’s biggest clubs, the software has – so far – only been allowed for use in training settings.

“Unlike back-mounted wearables, this product enables further-reaching insights into performance and medical disciplines due to the position on the boot generating data on the lower limbs… It shows promise to being a cost-efficient alternative for individual and team data collection and in simplifying analysis, thus contributing to making tracking technologies available across more levels of football.”

FIFA’s Innovation Programme Project Summary

Watch out guys, Football could be changing FOREVER!

Sport is changing forever and you do NOT want to miss out…

Everyone knows just how important AI can be, but we’re here to help you reach the next level!

Want to improve performances? Learn a new sport? Push yourself like never before? Well, look no further than SportGPT.

Acting as your very own AI sports coach, our platform allows anyone – from amateurs to athletes – access to world class coaching anytime, anywhere, and for whatever need!

With our system evolving right alongside you, by using your unique progress, results will be optimised to help you realise whatever athletic need you have!

Already backed by thousands, this is your chance to play a key role in the future of sports training. 

It’s time to unleash your athletic potential.

Join to begin your journey today! Visit https://sportgpt.ai/ for more

This is a Game Changer…

There’s no denying that this season – across a number of different sports – has been riddled with what feels like more injuries than usual.

Why is that? Well, as we mentioned in the last story, players are being expected to play at higher intensity levels than ever. When pairing that with the constant training and shere number of games played, we guess it makes sense.

The truth is though, as fans, we aren’t likely to know. And it’s for that very reason why studies such as NTT’s are unbelievably important.

Alright, alright. We’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let us explain.

Announcing this week their new initiative, The Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) – experts in technology and innovation – could turn the sports world on its head…

Exploring sport injuries in immense detail, the firm’s life science corporation has built a team to conduct a joint research project using genetic analysis.

Aiming to develop a solution which will serve to increase athlete strength and prevent injury, the research conducted will focus on Rugby and Football.

Specifically, across the next year, the team will look at data related to the number of steps taken during games and practice, lifestyle habits such as meals, medical examination results, image data for motion analysis, and more.

Using these to form training programs, program organisers will also be able to interact with professional teams.

“There are times when a player of a certain team turns from poor performance to a good performance, and vice versa. This may be because the team's strategy and training methods coincidentally matched or mismatched the player. In order to develop a method that can prevent such a mismatch and maximise the performance of each athlete, we need to examine both environmental factors such as training and nutrition as well as genetic factors.”

Noriyuki Fuku, Senior Associate Professor of Juntendo University Graduate School of Health and Sports Science

Here’s to less injuries! 🍻

Tiktok did WHAT!?

Over the last few weeks, it feels as though we just have not shut up about broadcasting…

However, being the most integral platform for fans to interact with their favourite teams outside of actually going to the stadium, its importance just cannot be understated…

It’s for that very reason why broadcasters and sports organisations alike have been so keen to find the next best thing.

Now, before we get into it, we have a question… How many of you find yourselves scrolling through hours and hours of random content on Tiktok?

Judging by, well, what we do and the way things seem to work now, we’re guessing quite a lot…

With social media beginning to dominate the lives of so many, the need for teams to understand how to exploit the algorithm to garner the attention of millions online is HUGE…

And guess what? It looks like the SailGP has found a way to do so…

Streaming this weekend’s event on Tiktok, the broadcast is set to come with a dedicated feed.

Pushing the boundaries of what fans have come to expect, the Sailing organisation has recently focused on the implementation of AI and virtual experiences.

Assuming that the deal – like other Tiktok x Sport partnerships – will see the social media giant use their unique algorithm to push the event into the minds of millions, this could be a turning point for the sport.

Engaging a younger audience, this could most definitely be a major turning point in the future of Sailing…

We Need to Talk About: UEFA

The Champions League is back, ladies and gentlemen!

Making a massive return this week, the tournament – yet again – showcased Europe’s most elite talent.

With the European game holding more influence than we perhaps think, UEFA – creators of the tournament – hold somewhat of a responsibility that goes beyond Football…

Announcing the creation of ‘Champions Innovate’ earlier this week, the Footballing giant is looking to create a more sustainable future.

Looking to specifically improve the sustainability of an average matchday experience, the project will bring in a number of experts on the subject.

Inviting start-ups to propose solutions for the challenges identified by UEFA, in many ways, the project can be likened to an ‘tech incubator hub’ – a system recently taken on board by some of the world's biggest sporting entities.

Those selected will be aided in testing and, if successful, will eventually be integrated into the organisation for – get this – next year's Champions League Final!

“At UEFA, we acknowledge that collaborating with experts is key to address numerous challenges and is why the UEFA Innovation Hub aspires to unite top talent from various industries. With Champions Innovate, the UEFA Innovation Hub aims to unearth the champions of innovation who can contribute to football’s development in every aspect. Talent knows no limits, and UEFA is committed to nurturing it.”

Andrea Traverso, UEFA’s Director of Financial Sustainability and Research

Quick Bites

Meme of the day

Quote of the day

“You look good in red and white!”

Thierry Henry to Harry Kane

Picture of the day

Do you want to rep your favourite newsletter? Refer your friends and colleagues to the Sports Road and you could win big

It’s easy to spread the word. Copy and paste your unique link below and share it in an email or on your timeline

Ps - please respond to this email to help us beat the dreaded spam filters!

Chat to ya on Friday! ☮️