The Rise of Data-Driven Soccer: Successes and Challenges

Moderator: Ryan O'Hanlon

Panelists: Ian Graham, Sarah Rudd, Jesse Marsch, Bill James

Three is worth more than two, walks count the same as hits, first downs are better than punts. While data analysis has transformed the way we play all of the major American sports, soccer still awaits its own kind of disruption. It’s not for a lack of trying, though. Major European clubs have begun to invest — and occasionally empower — in data-driven decision-making. But due to cultural differences, institutional inertia, and a sport that’s simply really hard to measure, advanced analytics haven’t had the same kind of transformative effect at the highest level of the sport that we’ve seen in the NBA, MLB, or NFL. Combining on-the-ground coaching expertise with high-level quantitative thinking, this panel will survey the state of soccer’s analytical revolution and attempt to determine just how far it might go. #BeyondThePitch