What Tracking Tech Misses in Real Soccer

Every coach has been there: you check your tracking data after training and think, “There’s no way that was just jogging.” A winger hits a stop-start move, explodes down the line, cuts sharply inside—and the GPS report labels half the effort as “moderate running.”

A new study helps explain why this happens—and what we can do to get better insights and better training from the tech we use every day.

This research compared FIFA’s standard Electronic Performance and Tracking Systems (EPTS) validation circuit with a more realistic, soccer-specific circuit filled with sprints, stop-starts, curved runs, and rapid change-of-direction (COD). The goal: to see which type of movement actually challenges tracking systems—and therefore which movements matter most for coaches who rely on this data.

The Big Finding: Real Soccer Movements Expose Big Gaps in Tracking Accuracy

The sport-specific circuit (SSC) wasn’t just slightly harder—it produced dramatically more of the high-intensity actions that matter for both performance and injury risk. Compared to FIFA’s simpler circuit, the SSC forced players to:

• Spend more time in high-speed zones (15–25 km/h).
• Perform more accelerations and decelerations, especially in the moderate and high categories.
• Execute far more high-speed changes of direction—exactly the moments where tracking systems are most error-prone.

This matters because these actions—quick sprints, sharp stops, and unpredictable cuts—are the currency of modern soccer. They precede goals, fuel counterattacks, and represent the highest physical load on an athlete. Yet they are also the moments where data is least reliable. As the study notes, EPTS accuracy drops when:

• Speed increases
• Direction changes rapidly
• Accelerations/decelerations stack in quick bursts

In other words: the most “soccer-like” parts of soccer are the hardest for tech to measure.

Why This Matters for Youth, Amateur, and Competitive Coaches

If your players rely on tracking vests, GPS units, or app-based movement tools, your numbers may be undercounting:

• High-intensity work
• Sprint-effort frequency
• COD load
• Fatigue-related spikes
• Injury-risk moments

And if you design training sessions based solely on those reports, players may be working harder or riskier than the data suggests. The study also found that FIFA’s validation circuit includes too few high-intensity actions, meaning approved tracking systems may look accurate in testing but struggle during real match-like movement.

This is a wake-up call for coaches: trust your eyes as much as your numbers.

Breaking the Study Down in Soccer Terms

Think of it like this:

• FIFA’s circuit = predictable patterns, light pressure, long straight sprints.
• The sport-specific circuit = exactly what happens in a match: explosive bursts, quick cuts, curved runs, and repeated accelerations.

The SSC produced up to 3× more entries into high-acceleration and high-deceleration moments—the moments that separate a casual session from a match-intense one. COD demands were far higher in the SSC, especially at running speeds where tech accuracy drops the most.

That means your winger’s inside cut, your striker’s shoulder fake, your center back’s recovery sprint—they’re all prime candidates for GPS misreads.

So What Should Coaches Do? Here Are 5 Actionable Takeaways

1. Train More Sport-Specific Movements

Your tech may not capture them perfectly, but your players need high-speed cuts, sprint-stop-sprint sequences, and curved runs. Try adding:

• 505 agility drills
• Short-burst sprint repeats
• Curved acceleration patterns
• Sprint → decel → cut combinations

These represent real match demands far better than simple linear sprints.

2. Interpret Tracking Data with Caution

If a session felt intense but the data says otherwise, believe the players. Tracking systems underreport:

• High-speed COD
• Abrupt accelerations
• Sharp decelerations

Use tracking numbers as guides, not absolute truth.

3. Build Conditioning That Reflects Match Loads

Instead of long sprints, use:

• Repeated 10–20 m bursts
• Zig-zag sprint patterns
• Sprints followed by immediate directional changes

These mimic the SSC movements that actually challenge players.

4. Monitor Fatigue Through Movement Quality, Not Just Speed Zones

Because tracking systems miss key intensities, also watch:

• Cutting sharpness
• Reaction time in transitions
• Recovery after explosive actions

These often reveal fatigue earlier than GPS metrics.

5. Advocate for Better Tech (Especially at the Club Level)

If clubs, leagues, or directors rely heavily on tracking outputs, share what this study shows: tests need to include real soccer movements to ensure the tech is valid. FIFA is already updating protocols—coaches should push vendors and clubs to follow suit.

Your Turn to Kick It Off

This study reminds us that data is powerful only when we understand its limits. The game is fluid, messy, nonlinear, and creative. Your tracking system should be tested the same way.

Here are a few questions to spark discussion:

• Which movements do you think your GPS struggles to measure accurately?
• How do you balance tech data with your coaching eye?
• What soccer-specific drills should be added to future tracking tests?

Drop your thoughts—coaches learn best from each other.