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A comparison of statistics tools in soccer: Catapult, zone14, and others put to the test

“We just weren’t aggressive enough today.”
“We lacked the willingness to run.”
“The decisive pass didn’t come.”

If you're involved in soccer—whether as a coach, player, analyst, or club official—you’ve probably heard these phrases countless times. For years, this was the foundation of match analysis: a coach’s intuition, a trained eye, and gut feeling.

And while that instinct will always play a role, modern football has evolved. Massively.

Today, performance data and match statistics are not a luxury—they’re essential for training management, tactical planning, and long-term player development. They turn assumptions into facts and help coaches make more objective decisions—whether it's selecting a starting eleven, planning recovery, or preparing for match day.

How do clubs access performance data?

In professional leagues like the Bundesliga, GPS vests and performance science teams have long been standard. But for most amateur clubs, these tools seemed far out of reach—until recently. Thanks to recent technological advances, the game is changing even at the grassroots level.

What do GPS trackers actually measure?

What looks like a tight-fitting vest is actually a powerful device. Inside is a GPS tracker that collects a wide range of physical performance data in real time.

Examples?

  • How far has a player run? And not just in total, but also broken down: how many meters in sprints, how many in jogging or walking?
  • How fast was it? What was its top speed?
  • How often did he accelerate explosively or brake abruptly?
  • Where exactly did he move on the pitch? So-called heatmaps show in which zones a player was active.
  • How high was the total load? A special value such as “player load” summarizes load, intensity, and movement effort in a single number.

All this is provided by GPS trackers from suppliers such as Catapult, the market leader in professional sports. And yes: for fitness trainers and performance diagnosticians at the highest level, this data is pure gold.

They help to precisely control the load on each player, prevent injuries, adjust training intensity individually, and ensure that everyone is at 100% on game day.

Why are such systems rarely seen in amateur football?

As exciting as this technology is, it has two major drawbacks for us in the amateur and semi-professional sector.

Firstly: the price.
The cost of equipping an entire team with GPS trackers and the corresponding vests is enormous. And that's just the beginning: there are also regular license fees for the software, server access, updates—in most cases, this exceeds the budget of any club.

Secondly: the effort involved.
Before each training session, vests must be handed out, trackers assigned and charged. Then everything has to be collected again, data read out, assigned to players and evaluated. Anyone who has ever done this knows that it's not something you can do quickly on the side – especially not as a volunteer.

But from a trainer's perspective, the biggest disadvantage is something else entirely – namely, a conceptual one:

GPS tracking does not provide answers to tactical questions.

A tracker shows you that your full-back has run 11 kilometers. But it doesn't tell you why.

Was his movement tactically smart in order to create space? Or did he run back and forth aimlessly because he was in the wrong position beforehand?

He did 36 sprints – okay. But:
Was that because he anticipated correctly? Or because he constantly had to iron out mistakes?

These questions remain unanswered. The bare figures do not help us here.

The modern alternative: AI-based video analysis – When the camera thinks for itself

This is precisely where the real revolution begins—and it affects not only the professionals, but above all of us amateurs.

Instead of relying on expensive devices worn on the body, modern systems use artificial intelligence (AI) to extract performance data directly from video footage. One or more cameras film the game, and smart software automatically analyzes what is happening on the field.

This has two huge advantages:

  1. The logistical effort is reduced to a minimum. No vests. No trackers. No reading out.
  2. The performance data is directly linked to the game. You don't just see that a player has run 10.5 km – you see where, when, and why.

Whether the run was tactically sound or completely pointless—you can check that out directly in the video. And that's exactly what makes the difference.

A look inside the toolbox: zone14 and other alternatives at a glance

The market for analysis tools is changing. Today, there are various systems that rely on video data and/or performance data—but with very different approaches and philosophies. To find the right solution for your club, it's worth taking a look at the toolbox:

Catapult – The specialist for pure performance data

If you are a professional team that wants to control the physical strain on your players down to the smallest detail, then Catapult is the tool for you. Data is collected via GPS vests, and the performance data is extremely accurate—but the tactical context is completely missing. What's more, the price is high and the effort involved is considerable.

Hudl – The digital tactics board

Hudl is ideal if you want to share, comment on, and analyze tactical scenes. You can upload your video footage, edit scenes, add drawings, and share them directly with your players. Hudl is strong in communication and visual feedback—but does not provide automatically captured performance data.

Wyscout – The spy in the scouting sector

Wyscout is not a platform for your own games, but a tool for analyzing opponents and scouting. You get access to a huge video database with countless teams and players worldwide—including statistics. Perfect if you are looking for new players or want to prepare specifically for opponents.

zone14 – The all-in-one solution for ambitious clubs

And then there is zone14 – the system that integrates tactical video analysis and performance data in one. No GPS, no extra effort. With an automated camera, AI-supported game analysis, and a clear focus on the reality of amateur and semi-professional clubs.

zone14 in detail: The best of both worlds – without any extra effort

At zone14, we asked ourselves:
Why do you actually have to choose between performance data on the one hand and tactical context on the other?

Why can't both work simultaneously and fully automatically?

That was precisely the starting point for our system: a complete, integrated solution specially developed for the needs of amateur and semi-professional soccer clubs.

The eye: The zone14 TWO AI camera

The fully automatic camera is mounted once on the floodlight mast or grandstand and records all games and training sessions in crystal-clear 4K quality. No cameraman needed, no operation, no effort.

The Platform: REPLAY + STATS

All footage is automatically uploaded to zone14 REPLAY where coaches can edit clips, add drawings, and analyze tactics.
The key, however, is zone14 STATS:
It extracts performance data directly from the footage:

  • Running track
  • Sprint speed
  • heatmaps
  • Player workload metrics

And every data point is directly linked to the game context.

Start your video analysis.

Sign up now for a completely free demo account.

How does that look?

For example, you click on “10.5 km running distance” for your central midfielder and see every single run in the video.
You will immediately notice:

  • Was the run clever?
  • Did he create spaces?
  • War er taktisch sinnvoll oder hat eher nur Energie verbraucht?

So könnt ihr Training und Spielanalyse nicht nur auf Daten, sondern immer auch auf dem „Warum dahinter“ aufbauen. Genau das macht moderne Fußballanalyse aus.

Conclusion: The data-driven future for your club is here—and it's easier than you think.

The question is no longer whether performance data and video material should be used in soccer. The question is: How can this be done in the smartest way possible—and in a way that fits in with everyday club life?

Catapult remains an exciting tool for pure performance diagnostics in the professional arena.

For coaches who want to share tactical feedback and video clips with their team, Hudl is a strong choice.

And when it comes to scouting and opponent analysis, there's hardly any way around Wyscout.

But:  If you are looking for a comprehensive, affordable, and easy-to-use system that will help you advance on all levels—physically, tactically, and organizationally—then zone14 is exactly the right tool for you.

It is the only system that automatically records and extracts performance data and links it to tactical gameplay. No frills, no additional hardware, no half-baked solutions—just modern game analysis tailored to everyday life in amateur and semi-professional soccer.

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