The illogic of being data-driven: reasserting control and restoring balance in our relationship with data and technology in football

Abstract

ABSTRACT The ongoing advances and prevalence of technology in football is spurring a more prominent role for technology and data in driving decisions and practice. Sports science practitioners naturally play an integral part in the adoption of these technologies and are among the most enthusiastic proponents of a data-driven approach that promotes objective metrics and seeks to minimise or eliminate subjectivity. With the speed of these developments, there are a number of pitfalls that have been overlooked. In this commentary we describe the pervasive forces driving the adoption of technology solutions and critically examine the logic underpinning the present drive for metrics-based practice in football. In addition to highlighting some important gaps in what we are presently able to capture, we uncover some common flaws in how we implement new technology and use data. We propose that there is a fundamental need to reframe how we are seeking to employ data and more specifically make the necessary switch from being data-driven to data-informed. We propose some solutions to assist practitioners in being purposeful in their use of these tools and leverage the benefits of technology and data in a way that better supports decision-making and complements coaching practice.