Sporstcode is one of the leading video analysis software in the performance analysis field today, used by thousands of analysts, coaches and athletes around the world. This popular platform goes as far back as 1999, when Australian coaching applications and professional services company Sportstec first launched the first version of the revolutionary video software. However, in 2015, the company was acquired by the American counterparts Hudl in an effort to strengthen the companies position in the industry by combining the elite-level sport market dominance of Sportstec with the broader reach within amateur and grassroots level of Hudl, as stated by former Sportstec Managing Director Philip Jackson (PR Newswire, 2015).
The platform allows analysts and coaches to visually identify what went well and what could be improved in a training session or game by providing a quick and easy way to create interactive reports linked to key highlights. The process is very simple: capture your video into Sportscode, code the different events that take place in the footage, evaluate the results of the relevant events captured and present the insights to coaches and athletes. However, the platform offers a very wide range of functionalities and features that require some time to get familiarized with before being able to effectively use it.
Capturing and Uploading Video
With Sportscode you can capture video live, uploading it into the platform in real-time and from multiple angles when using multiple cameras, to then code the recorded footage by tagging all the relevant events to later analyse. With the most recent version released in 2017, you are even able to capture video from a remote IP camera, allowing the capture of angles that are impossible or impractical to collect through a lift or tripod camera. This is particularly important for sports where teams are spread out across the field, as focusing on a specific area of the pitch may not capture players standing outside the angle of reach.
Coding the video footage
Once the video has been uploaded into the platform, Sportscode provides analysts with enough flexibility within their set of features to define what code windows suit best the KPIs of their team. In this coding process, analyst can define the text, colour, size and alignment of their tags, create filters to play back key moments, define the length and category of each event, execute calculations of the data as it is being coded and more. The analyst will start by defining the codes, flags and labels they will want to track in the video footage and then run the video while indicating which relevant tags apply for each section of the video based on the actions and events that take place.
Analysing the events captured
Aside from tracking the numerous events from a game or training session, Sportscode also allows analysts and coaches to evaluate a particular play of action with interactive visualizations and drawing features. Plays can also be played back from multiple angles, if they were captured in such way, and multiple games can be combined into one unique video if the purpose is to analyse a specific style of playing across various matches. While Sportscode is primarily a video-centric software, it also offers the ability to generate quantitative insights based on the events tracked in the footage and produce spreadsheet style reports. These reports can be shared remotely and in real-time with coaches as the insights are generated to allow for quicker reaction and decision-making.
Presenting and sharing the results
Once the video has been captured and coded, highlights have been generated and the analysis has been completed, Sportscode allows you to export the final video with all the information to share it with coaches and players. This can be done in the form of individual videos or even playlists with groups of videos sorted by different categories. These video presentations can also include notes and commentary on relevant highlights for a more detailed review.