FC Eindhoven (Netherlands)
Testimonial: Edwin Huybers, FC Eindhoven (Netherlands) and Al Faisaly (Saudi Arabia) video analyst
“I’ve been working for many years with different video analysis software, and I started with Nacsport two years ago. It’s a great program for coaches and video analysts. A very supportive software thanks to its great variety for all sports and levels. It’s a very practical program, with nice features where you can create your own workflows due to the use of seperate windows. Nacsport is a perfect program with a great price-quality ratio and a great support department for its users, providing us with added value for the players, technical staff and myself as a video analyst”.
ADD VALUE TO TALENT DEVELOPMENT WITH NACSPORT...
Edwin Huybers is working as video analyst for two professional football organisations: Al Faisaly, in the highest professional division in Saudi Arabia and FC Eindhoven, a side in the Dutch Jupiler League. Both clubs have it in common that they work hard on talent development, and video analysis is thereby an important tool for the technical staff. Images never lie and are an effective resource for dialogue and discussion.
“I’ve been working for many years with different video analysis software, and I started with Nacsport two years ago. It’s a great program for coaches and video analysts. A very supportive software thanks to its great variety for all sports and levels. It’s a very practical program, with nice features where you can create your own workflows due to the use of seperate windows. Nacsport is a perfect program with a great price-quality ratio and a great support department for its users, providing us with added value for the players, technical staff and myself as a video analyst”.
ADD VALUE TO TALENT DEVELOPMENT WITH NACSPORT...
Edwin Huybers is working as video analyst for two professional football organisations: Al Faisaly, in the highest professional division in Saudi Arabia and FC Eindhoven, a side in the Dutch Jupiler League. Both clubs have it in common that they work hard on talent development, and video analysis is thereby an important tool for the technical staff. Images never lie and are an effective resource for dialogue and discussion.
Both Al Faisaly and FC Eindhoven use two Nacsport Pro Plus licenses and one Nacsport Scout Plus license for the coach, assistant coach and video analyst. In both clubs, they use video analysis within three levels: team, line and individual analysis. They use it for their own matches and as well for the upcoming opponent. As preparation for a match and as well for the evaluation after the match. How is Nacsport been used by both teams?
The analysis workflow process has been split up in 5 stages (see graphic). In this situation the matches are recorded professionally (by television) and we have to download the videos as quick as possible after each match from a central based server. The matches are being recorded from the side line. Sometimes we choose to record the match with an extra camera from another position so we can see it back from another perspective. The next step is making registers from the match. The template is especially made for our own team and opponent and made regarding the needs of our head coach.
All registers are split up into two levels, categories and descriptors, so we can work with even more detailed analysis. In this phase, we play the video in high speed (200%) and the focus is only on making registrations and not yet on analysing. That part comes later. Therefore we can work very precisely. The template has a number of important items such as: attack, defence, turnovers, chances, goals, corners and free kicks etc.
Next to this we also have an individual template where each player is a descriptor (information to add to a category) and also a separate category. This button is linked to the personal development item for the specific player and collects the feedback for the player regarding the item that is his focus (for example 1:1, defence or passing building up ect.). The average number of registers recorded is between 200 and 250 for one match. In both clubs, they did not choose to register each pass for example.
After registering the match we move forward to analyse the registers. At the Timeline we mostly work with the Matrix. Depending on the specific objective, the analysis takes place on the team, a line, and the individual players. We are not only observing the clips during the analysis process but in the same time we are preparing for the next phase to present the analysis by putting important clips directly into specific lists in a presentation.
We have to be careful that we don’t do too many things at the same time. One clip can already give us so much information that it can possibly overcome our core objectives / focus if we spend too much time on it. The same can happen when making too many drawings inside the video clip. This helps with clarifying, but is important to note the following: less is more. Different lists are made inside the presentation file where the duration from the clips can be adjusted, we can add notes and drawings to prepare the presentation to discuss and share.
As video analyst, Edwin gives a presentation four days before a match about the upcoming opponent with the main principles highlighted, always built around a fixed structure and with a maximum of 12 minutes for the video.
Before the video meeting with the team, this presentation is further reduced to a maximum of 8 minutes. The different presentations are discussed with the whole team and as well with individual players.
Sometimes the presentations are only offered to the players as video feedback without discussing them. Regularly we ask players to take out 5 excellent moments (registers) from this particular player to add into a presentation (stimulate self reflection). The experience teaches that it is interesting and important for the players to be actively involved with watching back the video. If you succeed in this, then it becomes really instructive. Watching the videos back, it can be easy for people to just review the bad points. This itself is not a problem, but we have to be careful to mix these with the good moments for a good assessment. The created presentations for the players and staff are shared as well on Sport2View, an online platform that gives them the possibility to see the images back at home once more whenever they want.
Technical manager Hans Smulders says “at FC Eindhoven we are building our talented players, and we are always searching for how to help the individual players in their core qualities and to let them accelerate and get better from that point. Video feedback is an essential extra support in the process of coaching and accompanying these players. Players become more self-reflected, the dialogue with the players becomes more easy and we understand each other much better.
And that stimulates of course the development. I am convinced that this workflow will make an important contribution for the good performances this year”.
Video analyst Edwin Huybers about his working experience with Nacsport: “Absolutely an added value for us in the development process for talented players. The trainers are able to make a presentation to show and discuss with the players in a quick and easy way. Last week we were watching the 13 corners from our last match and the players themselves reached the insight on the fourth corner that others were “left loose”. The fact that the players recognise this themselves by watching the clips is very valuable as we can tighten up on our core qualities for the coming matches. NACSPORT makes my work better and easier. Very good productive tools, easily workable for me and my colleague in the technical staff, and provides an added value to our work in an efficient way (for example, to put clips into a presentation from the Timeline in just 1 second), It works perfect!”. Next to this they have a very good support department that is always available if you need them for any questions or doubts.
Working in a good way with video analysis provides a trainer or technical staff very useful information. NACSPORT is for us a very useful programme which makes a direct contribution to our successes and development of our players. NACSPORT, quality information, better decisions? Absolutely!!