Skip to content

TechRepublic

Trending Now

Two factor authentication
Image: Microgen/Adobe Stock
Article

Top 5 alternatives to Google Authenticator

Article

Microsoft Office files opened in Google Docs, Sheets or Slides now automatically sync for offline use

Top view of Padar Island before a morning from Komodo Island (Komodo National Park), Labuan Bajo, Flores, Indonesia
Image: Thrithot/Adobe Stock
Article

Let this small AI-powered drone be your perfect travel photography companion

Software developer freelancer with white headphones and glasses working with program code: C++ Java, Javascript on wide displays and smartphone at night. Develops new web, desktop, mobile application.
Image: Monstar Studio/Adobe Stock
Article

What are the top cross-platform app development frameworks in 2022?

  • Top Products Lists
  • Developer
  • 5G
  • Security
  • Cloud
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Tech & Work
  • Mobility
  • Big Data
  • Innovation
  • Cheat Sheets
  • TechRepublic Academy
  • CES
  • TechRepublic Premium
  • Top Products Lists
  • Developer
  • 5G
  • Security
  • Cloud
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Tech & Work
  • Mobility
  • Big Data
  • Innovation
  • Cheat Sheets
  • TechRepublic Academy
  • CES
  • See All Topics
  • Sponsored
  • Newsletters
  • Forums
  • Resource Library
TechRepublic Premium

Account Information

Join or sign in

Register for your free TechRepublic membership or if you are already a member, sign in using your preferred method below.

Use Facebook
Use Linkedin

Join or sign in

We recently updated our Terms and Conditions for TechRepublic Premium. By clicking continue, you agree to these updated terms.

Welcome back!

Invalid email/username and password combination supplied.

Reset password

An email has been sent to you with instructions on how to reset your password.

Welcome to TechRepublic!

All fields are required. Username must be unique. Password must be a minimum of 6 characters and have any 3 of the 4 items: a number (0 through 9), a special character (such as !, $, #, %), an uppercase character (A through Z) or a lowercase (a through z) character (no spaces).

Loading
Big Data

Photos: Did this SAP big data software really help Germany win the World Cup?

By Toby Wolpe July 17, 2014, 4:10 AM PDT

Image
1
of 4
Previous Next

sapworldcupformation940x529.jpg
sapworldcupformation940x529.jpg
Photos: Did this SAP big data software really help Germany win the World Cup?

\N

Image: SAP

\N

Andre Schu00fcrrle’s cross and Mario Gu00f6tze’s chest and volley may have won the World Cup for Germany in extra time but enterprise software giant SAP is claiming a hand in the victory.

Its Match Insights software, which employs SAP HANA in-memory computing, was originally taken up by Bundesliga side 1899 TSG Hoffenheim, which is about 20km from SAP’s Walldorf headquarters near Heidelberg, south-west Germany.

In October last year, SAP and the German football association – or Deutsche Fuu00dfball-Bund – started collaborating on adapting the software for the German national team for final preparations for the World Cup and during the tournament itself. A prototype was delivered in March.

The image shown here is taken from the software running analytics on the November warm-up game against Italy. The white lines across the German backline and forwards show the operator in this case is studying playing formations and the relative position of players in these units.

In practice games, players can wear wireless sensors from partner company Amisco to relay geospatial and performance data but in real matches those digital tags are not permitted for safety reasons and because coaches are barred from using in-game technological aids.

According to SAP head of head of discrete manufacturing industries Nils Herzberg, the technology is not just for coaches. It can also be used by players to analyse their own performances.

“It is more for training but also for post mortems. Well, in the case of Germany there wasn’t one. Everyone else could have done with one,” Herzberg said.

The technology could also be used one day in other fields, such as in military exercises, for example.

“You could actually use it for the training of soldiers for special missions, if you want to make sure certain instructions and behaviours are followed,” Herzberg said.

Image: SAP
sapworldcuppickscreen940x600.jpg
sapworldcuppickscreen940x600.jpg
Photos: Did this SAP big data software really help Germany win the World Cup?

\N

Image: SAP

\N

Although the software can perform a running analysis of the performance of both teams, a coach or player can also highlight an individual and zoom in on his match data.

Here you can see the operator picking out midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger.

For every second of the game, some 5,000 data points are captured, yielding information on measures such as average possession time, speed travelled including bursts, distance travelled, player position and number of touches.

For real games, where digital tagging is not permitted, the data is collected using pitch-side cameras and facial-recognition software to identify individual players and map their position on a grid using geospatial data.

The user interface itself is a combination of Java and HTML5 and is plugged in to HANA by a JDBC-ODBC connection.

Image: SAP
sapworldcupplayer940x529.jpg
sapworldcupplayer940x529.jpg
Photos: Did this SAP big data software really help Germany win the World Cup?

\N

Image: SAP

\N

This image shows that the player picked out for special study in this case is left wingback Marcell Jansen of Hamburger SV. His image appears at the top left of the screen, and he’s highlighted on the pitch by a small blue circle.

Across the top of the screen you can read Jansen’s passing accuracy, shooting, movement and dynamics, which also breaks down into fast accelerations and hard decelerations.

At the top right is a graphic showing the player’s ball-handling statistics, showing data such as ball contacts, possession and an overall rating.

The bar at the bottom of the screen is the match timeline, showing important events in the game, including goals as well as the individual’s notable contributions, such as shots and important defensive interventions.

Image: SAP
sapworldcupdefence940x529.jpg
sapworldcupdefence940x529.jpg
Photos: Did this SAP big data software really help Germany win the World Cup?

\N

Image: SAP

\N

The grey areas fanning out behind the German players show the defensive zones they are potentially covering and into which they could run. This feature can be selected so that coaches can study the cohesion of, say, the backline or the defensive midfield.

Because the whole team is being studied in this case the top bar has reverted to team statistics, rather than those of an individual player but a similar visualisation for ball-handling appears along with an overall team rating.

Image: SAP
  • Big Data
  • CXO
  • Enterprise Software
  • EU
  • Innovation
  • Account Information

    Share with Your Friends

    Photos: Did this SAP big data software really help Germany win the World Cup?

    Your email has been sent

Share: Photos: Did this SAP big data software really help Germany win the World Cup?
Image of Toby Wolpe
By Toby Wolpe
Toby Wolpe is a senior reporter at TechRepublic in London. He started in technology journalism when the Apple II was state of the art.
  • Account Information

    Contact Toby Wolpe

    Your message has been sent

  • |
  • See all of Toby's content

TechRepublic Premium

  • TechRepublic Premium

    Industrial Internet of Things: Software comparison tool

    IIoT software assists manufacturers and other industrial operations with configuring, managing and monitoring connected devices. A good IoT solution requires capabilities ranging from designing and delivering connected products to collecting and analyzing system data once in the field. Each IIoT use case has its own diverse set of requirements, but there are key capabilities and ...

    Downloads
    Published:  May 26, 2022, 5:00 PM PDT Modified:  May 28, 2022, 8:00 AM PDT Read More See more TechRepublic Premium
  • TechRepublic Premium

    How to recruit and hire an Operations Research Analyst

    Recruiting an Operations Research Analyst with the right combination of technical expertise and experience will require a comprehensive screening process. This Hiring Kit provides an adjustable framework your business can use to find, recruit and ultimately hire the right person for the job.This hiring kit from TechRepublic Premium includes a job description, sample interview questions ...

    Downloads
    Published:  May 19, 2022, 5:00 PM PDT Modified:  May 21, 2022, 12:00 PM PDT Read More See more TechRepublic Premium
  • TechRepublic Premium

    Quick glossary: Industrial Internet of Things

    The digital transformation required by implementing the industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is a radical change from business as usual. This quick glossary of 30 terms and concepts relating to IIoT will help you get a handle on what IIoT is and what it can do for your business.. From the glossary’s introduction: While the ...

    Downloads
    Published:  May 19, 2022, 5:00 PM PDT Modified:  May 21, 2022, 12:00 PM PDT Read More See more TechRepublic Premium
  • TechRepublic Premium

    Software Procurement Policy

    Procuring software packages for an organization is a complicated process that involves more than just technological knowledge. There are financial and support aspects to consider, proof of concepts to evaluate and vendor negotiations to handle. Navigating through the details of an RFP alone can be challenging, so use TechRepublic Premium’s Software Procurement Policy to establish ...

    Published:  April 14, 2022, 5:00 PM PDT Modified:  April 16, 2022, 1:00 PM PDT Read More See more TechRepublic Premium

Services

  • About Us
  • Newsletters
  • RSS Feeds
  • Site Map
  • Site Help & Feedback
  • FAQ
  • Advertise
  • Do Not Sell My Information

Explore

  • Downloads
  • TechRepublic Forums
  • Meet the Team
  • TechRepublic Academy
  • TechRepublic Premium
  • Resource Library
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • TechRepublic
  • TechRepublic on Twitter
  • TechRepublic on Facebook
  • TechRepublic on LinkedIn
  • TechRepublic on Flipboard
© 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All rights reserved.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Property of TechnologyAdvice