GPS technology is changing the game

The Women’s World Cup final in 2015 was historic for more than just being the most-watched game in US history, Carli Lloyd’s 13-minute hat-trick and the nation’s third title. Less obvious, but perhaps equal significance, the showpiece was also the debut of GPS technology at a major international match.

Six months prior to the USWNT’s victory against Japan at Vancouver’s BC Place, the laws of the game were changed to allow players to wear performance-tracking devices during matches and since then, technology has been permitted in almost every league. Eagle-eyed fans may have noticed players wearing cropped vests during post-match exchanges and staying true to the theme of big things coming in small packages, such vests contain a GPS tracker no larger than the size of a pebble which analyses and records data such as speed, distance covered, the number of sprints completed and a positional heat map among a number of metrics.

Giving managers and players quantitive facts rather than just opinion, calibrating training routines, monitoring recoveries from injury or assessing potential has been revolutionised by advancements in GPS technology. Catapult, the company Catapult One belongs to, has been at the forefront of supplying such elite sports performance analytics for over a decade, and with over 3200 teams and federations across a multitude of sports in addition to clients such as Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, Catapult are the unrivalled provider of the market.

Exclusive to elite athletes, clubs and organisations for over a decade, Catapult One is bringing what is considered professional soccer’s best-kept secret to players at every level. Not only do we put those advancements in player tracking and statistics at your fingertips, but we also combine that with cutting edge sports science from Premier League coaches. From what you eat to the perfect post-match exercise, all the way through to new training sessions you can try, the Catapult One app ensures your preparation, performance and recovery is akin to a professional’s.

You can start your Catapult One membership here.