Coming soon · Book Profile
An Introduction to Performance Analysis of Sport
A practical and academic introduction to sports performance analysis that teaches coaches, analysts and researchers how to design analysis systems, gather reliable performance data, and turn it into actionable feedback that improves preparation and performance.
A profile of this book is on the way.
What it’s about
This fully revised second edition demystifies the discipline of sports performance analysis, showing how the raw complexity of a sporting contest can be reduced to reliable, valid quantitative indicators and paired with rich video sequences to inform coaching decisions. Written by three experienced academics and practitioners, it walks readers step-by-step from the rationale for analysis (the well-documented limits of coach recall) through manual and computerised system design, data reliability testing, telestration, feedback communication, and performance profiling. Grounded in worked examples from real events such as UEFA Euro 2022, netball squads, and Australian Rules football, the book balances technical 'hard skills' with the 'soft skills' and pedagogy needed to land feedback effectively, making it an ideal course text and a valuable primer for anyone seeking to make more informed, evidence-based decisions in sport.
The through-line
- Who it’s for
- A coach, aspiring or practising performance analyst, or sports researcher who wants to make better, evidence-based decisions to improve athlete and team performance.
- The problem
- They lack an accurate, objective record of performance and the technical know-how to collect, analyse and present performance data effectively. They feel uncertain about whether their coaching decisions and feedback are based on reality rather than biased, incomplete recollection.
- The plan
- Understand what performance analysis is and why coach recall alone is insufficient.
- Distinguish data from information and identify what to analyse using models like the six-step model and WITTW.
- Design and pilot manual notation systems (sequential, frequency, scatter).
- Develop computerised systems, testing them for reliability and consistency.
- Use telestration and multimedia to enrich video-based feedback.
- The payoff
- Coaches make informed, objective decisions based on accurate records rather than faulty memory. · Analysts gather valid, reliable data and deliver timely, engaging statistical and video feedback. · Athletes reflect on and develop their performance through meaningful, well-communicated feedback.
See our guide
Additional reading
- Professional Practice in Sport Performance Analysis · Andrew D. Butterworth (Editor)
Cited frequently as a key resource for understanding the role of the analyst within interdisciplinary teams, career development, and the application of emerging technologies like multimedia profiles.
- Qualitative Diagnosis of Human Movement · Duane V. Knudson
Presented as the foundational text for the four-phase process of analyzing and coaching technique, a key component of performance analysis.
- Various works on coach recall and notational analysis · Ian M. Franks (often with M. Hughes or G. Miller)
The work of Franks is cited throughout as providing the original rationale for performance analysis (e.g., poor coach recall) and for foundational concepts in notational system design.
- The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball · Tango, T. M., Lichtman, M. G., and Dolphin, A. E.
Cited as a detailed treatment of how analytic methods can be used to answer specific questions about baseball strategy, representing a deep application of the book's principles.
- Scorecasting: The Hidden Influences Behind How Sports Are Played and Games Are Won · Moskowitz, T. J., and Wertheim, L. J.
Recommended for showing how analytic methods can be used to address a wide range of sports issues, similar to the scope of the author's own book.
- Mathletics: How Gamblers, Managers, and Sports Enthusiasts Use Mathematics in Baseball, Basketball, and Football · Winston, W. L.
Referenced for its applications of analytic methods to a variety of sports, including football-specific examples like expected points.
- The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives · Mlodinow, L.
Suggested for its excellent non-technical description of the intuition behind probability and randomness, which is a foundational concept of the book.
- Statistical Methods for the Social Sciences · Agresti, A., and Finlay, B.
The author's favorite introductory statistics text, recommended for its wide range of topics and emphasis on applications closely related to those in sports.
- Baseball between the Numbers: Why Everything You Know About the Game Is Wrong · Keri, J. (Ed.)
Mentioned as a collection of interesting essays where analytic methods are used to study specific sports issues, such as comparing players from different eras.
- The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action · Donald A. Schon
Provides the foundational theory for experiential learning and reflective practice, which is presented in Chapter 5 as a crucial method for coaches to develop their knowledge.