Validation of a Video-Based Performance Analysis System (Mediacoach (R)) to Analyze the Physical Demands during Matches in LaLiga
Publicated to:Sensors. 19 (19): E4113- - 2019-10-01 19(19), DOI: 10.3390/s19194113
Authors: Luis Felipe, Jose; Garcia-Unanue, Jorge; Viejo-Romero, David; Navandar, Archit; Sanchez-Sanchez, Javier;
Affiliations
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to assess the accuracy of a multi-camera tracking system (Mediacoach (R)) to track elite football players' movements in real time. A total of 207 observations of 38 official matches from Liga 1, 2, 3 (TM) (2nd Spanish Division, season 2017/18) were included in the study (88 defenders, 84 midfielders, and 35 attackers of the same team). Total distance (TD, m) distance in zone 4 (DZ4) at a speed of 14-21 km/h, distance in zone 5 (DZ5) at a speed of 21-24 km/h (DZ5), distance in zone 6 (DZ6) at a speed of >= 24 km/h, maximum speed (km/h), and number of sprints (actions above 24 km/h) were registered with the Apex (R) GPS system (STATSports (TM), Newry, N. Ireland) and Mediacoach (R) semi-automatic tracking system (LaLiga (TM), Madrid, Spain). The level of agreement between variables estimated by the two systems was analyzed. Bias was also calculated by deducting the GPS estimated value from the video estimated value, and then dividing the difference score by the GPS estimated value. All variables showed high ICC values (>0.75) and very large correlations (r > 0.70). However the video-based performance analysis system overestimated the results obtained in the different speed zones (DZ5: +16.59 +/- 62.29 m; LOA95%: -105.49 to 138.68; DZ6: +93.26 +/- 67.76 m; LOA95%: -39.55 to 226.07), the number of sprints (+2.27 +/- 2.94; LOA95%: -3.49 to 8.02), and the maximum speed (+0.32 +/- 1.25 km/h; LOA95%: -2.13 to 2.77). The maximum bias was found in DZ6 (47%). This demonstrates that Mediacoach (R) is as accurate as a GPS system to obtain objective data in real time, adapted to physical and movement demands of elite football, especially for total distance and distances traveled at medium speeds.
Keywords
Quality index
Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel
The work has been published in the journal Sensors due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2019, it was in position 15/64, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Instruments & Instrumentation.
From a relative perspective, and based on the normalized impact indicator calculated from World Citations from Scopus Elsevier, it yields a value for the Field-Weighted Citation Impact from the Scopus agency: 2.01, which indicates that, compared to works in the same discipline and in the same year of publication, it ranks as a work cited above average. (source consulted: ESI Nov 14, 2024)
This information is reinforced by other indicators of the same type, which, although dynamic over time and dependent on the set of average global citations at the time of their calculation, consistently position the work at some point among the top 50% most cited in its field:
- Field Citation Ratio (FCR) from Dimensions: 13.65 (source consulted: Dimensions Jul 2025)
Specifically, and according to different indexing agencies, this work has accumulated citations as of 2025-07-24, the following number of citations:
- WoS: 22
- Scopus: 56