Applications of global positioning systems in football

Abstract

This brief review explores the research done in global positioning systems (GPS) applications in the sport of football. With Singapore football experiencing a huge decline in performance and world ranking, modern science and technology such as GPS technologies should play a vital role in sport performance, and thus this review aims to provide sport scientists and coaches information in the utilization of GPS devices. A comprehensive search in the online library of Nanyang Technological University and Google Scholar yielded 13 articles involving the utilization of GPS in regards to relevant performance metrics. Total distance, relevant distance, number and distance of high speed runs or sprints, number of accelerations and decelerations, and player load were identified to be discussed. These measurements can play a huge role in assisting coaching staff to enhance player performance and potentially reduce player injuries, but ultimately the interpretation of data by these experts plays a more significant part than the data itself. In other words, wearable technology does not replace the coach or the sport scientist.