Men with a bra – this is becoming more and more the norm on the soccer field. It doesn’t matter whether it’s BVB captain Marco Reus, Zlatan Ibrahimovic or the former Bayern winger Franck Ribéry, who now plays for US Salernitana – many football stars wear a bustier under their jersey. But why actually?
Admittedly, footballers’ clothing is not a classic women’s bra. The neoprene bra with integrated GPS consists of an upper body strap and a small pocket in the neck, in which the so-called monitor is located. This memory chip records the data of the football professionals, which are either viewed live on a computer at the edge of the field or evaluated later. After use, all monitors are loaded and all data is stored in the docking station case.
The so-called GPS bras are now used by many professional clubs during training sessions or test matches. “They record movements on the field and store the physical data about it,” explains Sports physician Prof. Dr. Ingo Frobose from the Cologne Sports University on TECHBOOK request. “Where is the player moving, how fast is he? What’s his heart rate like? When does his willingness to run decrease?” In addition, it can also be evaluated how the players behaved tactically among themselves, “and which forces, e.g. B. in a duel, affect them,” Froboese continues.
Data should help with training optimization
With the help of the data from the GPS bra, the coaching team can identify weaknesses in players, adjust the intensity of the training individually and ultimately prevent injuries in football. However, Froboese warns against seeing the data as a central element: “Football should always remain a game. The use of bras makes sense during training. deficits leat themselves so fast Erecognize and optimize the intensity of the units. The long-term development of the player can also be checked with the help of the bras.” The great art, however, is to analyze the data correctly.
The bras should be able to record up to 60 parameters per player. And it’s not just when they’re active that they deliver valuable information. For example, they can also be used to check sleep quality. After all, optimal regeneration is a relevant factor for general fitness due to the high stress during the season.
There are different systems and suppliers of the GPS bras. Top clubs such as Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus Turin, for example, use the models from the US company GPSports. The system costs the clubs around 50,000 euros.
Trainers have more and more data and analysis at their disposal. Games and practice sessions are constantly filmed. The support staff is constantly growing, more and more experts are taking care of the pros. The transparent player is thus becoming more and more of a reality. Fro-eye to TECHBOOK: “It’s considered too important. It’s absurd how game evaluations are done these days. A lot has nothing to do with the quality of the players anymore. You hide behind science. And the individual quality of each player takes a back seat. If you want to see it very simply: In the end, only a look at the table counts – it decides whether someone is successful or not.
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“Fans don’t want a math game”
It is currently being discussed whether bras can also be used in competitive football matches. Frobose: “I see that critically. The BH just collects data and calculates things. It is not an advantage for sport and performance if decisions are made on the basis of mathematics.” In sport, a lot is coincidence and it will stay that way.
“Fans don’t want a mathematical game, that would take away the emotionality,” believes Froboese. “The individuality is lost. It no longer matters how the player feels, what individual skills they have. You always have to see that only those who score goals are successful.” Bayern didn’t run the most last season. That was mainly the teams that are in there. “The playful ability is much more important than the data alone,” Froboese to TECHBOOK. “A good coach simply sees whether a player needs to be substituted or not.”
How does the BH record soccer data?
The players can be located using the GPS transmitters that are in space. These transmit their current position and the time to earth at regular intervals by means of radio beams. All GPS transmitters on the ground can thus calculate their own position. For this, the GPS device must be in contact with at least four GPS satellites. Many devices, such as navigation systems, smartphones or tablets, are now equipped with GPS.