DFL launches “Bundesliga Data Shootout” to unearth new solutions for automated data recording
- The Bundesliga Data Shootout is a new competition aiming to advance the automated recording of match events in football
- Open to data experts all over the world, individuals and teams have until 13 October 2022 to submit their solutions
- The DFL continues to push the boundaries of technological advancement, on and off the pitch
2 August 2022 – The DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga has launched the “Bundesliga Data Shootout”, a machine learning competition to develop automated processes for identifying and recording event data – specific sporting actions, such as a player taking a shot on goal, or receiving a yellow or red card – during matches.
The competition, which is being staged in association with Sportec Solutions AG, the DFL’s joint subsidiary with majority owner Deltatre, and official technology provider Amazon Web Services (AWS), is open to data experts, developers and tech enthusiasts all over the world. Running until 13 October 2022, individuals and teams participating in the challenge are tasked with developing a machine learning model that is able to detect event data in selected Bundesliga video footage, establishing a first vital building block in the automation process of event data collection. After an initial evaluation based on set KPIs, a panel of experts will then review the top results, with a total prize pool of $25,000 split between the chosen winners.
In recent years, football and the wider sports world has made great strides in the advancement of automated data recording. However, the recording of event data is still a manual process and, because of the efforts involved in ensuring accuracy and quality, is therefore only utilised in the world’s top leagues.
Creating an automated solution to recording would not only benefit clubs, coaches and fans, but also have an important role for both players and scouts. With a viable and affordable model, the technology could be used for both match and training analysis, delivering a much wider pool of data and furthering opportunities for talent identification and development.
“We really value data and have identified key opportunities that come with the collection of sports performance data”, Moritz Michael Mücke, Head of Digital Innovations at DFL, said. “This is a great chance for the league to closely cooperate with the data science and developer community and see how the bright minds out there can help us build up on the great foundation we already have. We are happy to finally see this come to life and we are optimistically curious about the results of our first ever ‘Bundesliga Data Shootout’.”
Teams and individuals interested in participating in the first “Bundesliga Data Shootout” can register here.