In short
A club without a full-time analyst can still analyse every match. Film it the same way each week, let software do the slow part (following players, naming them, measuring running and cutting clips), and spend your own time on the few questions that matter: what went wrong, what went right, and what to show the players. One hour a week is enough to run it.
The problem most clubs have
Professional clubs have analysts who spend a day or more on each match. Semi-professional, amateur, women's and youth teams usually have a coach who also runs training, picks the team and drives the minibus. The video gets filmed and rarely watched properly, because watching ninety minutes and writing notes takes most of an evening.
The fix is not to work harder. It is to split the job: the machine does the counting and cutting, and the coach does the thinking.
A weekly routine that fits in one hour
Film the same way every week
Same position, same height, whole match. Consistency matters more than quality: it lets you compare one week with the next. Read the filming guide once and give it to whoever holds the camera.
Upload on the evening of the match
Upload the video and both team sheets. By the next evening every player on both teams is followed, named and measured.
Read the report first (10 minutes)
A written match report gives you the key moments and how the teams compared, so you know where to look before you press play.
Watch the moments, not the match (30 minutes)
Jump to the goals, chances and turnovers instead of watching ninety minutes. Draw on the moments you want to show.
Send each player his own clips (10 minutes)
Every player has a page with his touches, running and own reel. Players watch their own clips far more willingly than a full match.
Pick two points for the team talk (10 minutes)
One thing to keep, one thing to fix, each with a clip. More than that rarely sticks.
What to look at
- Goals and chances, both ways. How did they start? Most goals conceded at this level come from a few repeating situations.
- Losing the ball. Where on the pitch, and what happened in the next few seconds.
- Team shape. How far apart the lines were when you defended. Team shapes on the video make this visible.
- Running. Who covered the ground, who faded late on, and whether substitutions came at the right time. See running data without GPS vests.
- Set pieces. Corners and free kicks are the easiest goals to prevent and to score.
Next week's opponent
If you can get a video of your next opponent's last match, analyse it the same way. You will see how they line up, who their quickest players are and where they lose the ball. See the opposition analysis template for what to write down.
What it costs
A club pays $130 a month for about five full matches, both teams included, and can try it free for 30 days, with nothing to buy and nothing for players to wear. Most clubs already own a camera that is good enough. See pricing.
Questions
How can a grassroots club do match analysis?
Film every match from the same high position, use software to follow players and cut clips, and spend about an hour a week on the report, the key moments and each player's clips. You do not need a full-time analyst.
How long does football match analysis take?
Done by hand, most of an evening per match. With software doing the tracking, naming and clipping, about an hour of your own time is enough to read the report, watch the key moments and send players their clips.
What should a coach look for when analysing a match?
How goals and chances started at both ends, where the ball was lost, how far apart the team's lines were when defending, who covered the ground, and set pieces.
Do I need GPS vests for performance analysis?
No. Match video gives distance, sprints, top speed and a heat map for both teams. Vests remain more precise for your own squad's training load.