Soccer Video Analysis

Advanced Course · 2020

Module 2
Button Templates
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Soccer Video Analysis Advanced Course · 2020

2.2. Interface
2.2.1 Nicknames

This option allows you to modify the name shown on a button in your template so that, in the
registry, another name appears. This option is very useful when registering player names or
positions which are excessively long.

To assign this function to a button, you must select the “Nickname” box, below the text box where
you assign a name to a button and type the name to be used as an alias.

Example:
When creating your template, you have generated a button for one of your players. The name
of the button will be “Josh Collins”. After you have created eighteen similar buttons with the
names of all the players, you are out of space and the text does not look complete.

It is time for a nickname. Assign the players shirt number, ‘9’ for example, to the button
for Josh Collins and the button will show ‘9’ instead of his name in the template. However,
when you register the action, and later in Timeline, the name is registered as ‘Josh Collins’
(real name of the button).

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Soccer Video Analysis Advanced Course · 2020

2.3. Behaviour
2.3.1 Removing Categories from Play by Play

In future modules of this course we will talk in depth about broadcasting in real-time, an
environment which allows you to send information to other devices, connected to the same network
as your computer, live.

In fact, we talked about this function in the Starter Course, when we shared dashboards with other
devices. With Scout+, you can broadcast more information, such as videos, but we will come to that
in subsequent chapters.

However, since this function has its origin in template creation, we want to explain it now so you
understand how these options affect results in this phase.

By default, all actions registered in real-time will be sent through the option of real-time sharing.
To stop actions in a specific category being issued through real-time broadcast, you simply have to
select the category and uncheck the box “Add to Play by Play”, which can be found at the bottom of
the “Behaviour” tab.

But why remove them? So that only those categories you consider important are sent and not
everything is sent to the receiving device. By doing this, you can focus on the most important
categories for live analysis.

2.3.2 Blocking Descriptors in Manual Categories

As you learned in the previous course, descriptors can be added to a manual category in two ways:
(1) while the category is registering and the button flashes and (2) when you have ‘closed’ the
manual category, that is, as if it were an automatic category.

This second option can lead to mistakes during registration. Occasionally, a descriptor is added to an
action that is no longer being logged, such as adding a player’s descriptor to a period of possession
which has ended and in which they were not involved.

To avoid this type of conflict, we have the option “Only add descriptors when open”, which is found
in the “Behaviour” tab and can only be associated with manual categories. Thus, the only time you
can add descriptors to that category will be while you are recording the action (the button flashes).

Automatic categories will continue to function as normal.

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2.3.3 Minimum Descriptors Number

Registering actions is more demanding in the professional world. No longer do you only register
actions but, in addition, it is quite likely that you organise your data collection following registration
patterns. Your tags must be organised for every action: descriptors follow a category in a specific
order and quantity.

The way you tag actions is important, as is the fixed number of descriptors that each type of action
has so that no data escapes you.

One way to organise this is with the “Minimum descriptors number” option which allows you to
establish a fixed amount to be considered as the minimum acceptable amount of information for
each action.

This does not mean that the action will not be registered unless the minimum is not met, what
happens in this case is that, once in the Timeline, you do an automatic check and the program will
show you those actions that do not meet the established minimum. This means you can now edit
them and add the missing information.

This option can be activated for any category. You will find it at the bottom of the editing window in
the “Behaviour” tab. Simply select the minimum number of descriptors for this category.

Example:
You want to record the following information for your shots on goal: the player, the result
of the action and where the shot is taken from. Thus, your “Shot” category needs three
descriptors: player, result and location.

While registering the different “Shots” in a match, we add different descriptors. When we
get to the Timeline, we select the option “Check minimum number of descriptors”. The
program will show those that do not meet the required three descriptors.

In this example, the program shows five records with less than three descriptors. Maybe we
forgot to select the player, or the shot location. We review each action and incorporate the
missing information. All shots are now organised correctly.