Output in Professional Football: A Stations Based Approach to Embedded Data Collection

Output in Professional Football: A Stations Based Approach to Embedded Data Collection

Big Takeaway: Embedding testing into training not only provides greater insight into your athletes but also saves valuable time.

We’re honoured that teams from the Premier League, Bundesliga, and Serie A trust Output for reliable data insights. While their exact methods are often proprietary, most use a stations-based approach to integrate Output seamlessly within training sessions. This article presents a hypothetical example that mirrors the principles applied by these top teams for efficient data integration within training sessions.

This approach transforms data collection by removing the logistical hurdles of 'finding the perfect time to test' or sacrificing training days for standalone testing. By embedding testing into training, teams gain continuous, reliable insights into each athlete's progress, avoiding the limitations of infrequent snapshots that can yield misleading conclusions. With this real-time data, coaches can make precise, informed decisions that enhance performance and reduce injury risks, optimising each athlete’s potential.

Pro Football Use of Output

While we can’t share specific examples, we’ve created a hypothetical scenario that offers insights relevant to your context. Below are two sample sessions:

**Exercises tracked using Output for longitudinal progress. *Exercises using Output to drive competition and intent.

Output can track a wide range of exercises, allowing flexibility to fit various training needs. Not every exercise needs to be monitored; in smaller group or one-on-one settings, tracking additional exercises can offer valuable insights. However, with larger groups, such as professional teams, Output is typically used to prioritize and monitor specific KPIs that are most relevant to the group or individual athlete’s goals.

Hypothetical Environment Set-Up

Using the pre-training activation session as a hypothetical example, here’s how a professional team might structure their station-based workflow with Output:

Station A: Countermovement Jump (CMJ) 

Athletes perform three to five countermovement jumps, with rest between each jump, in front of a screen displaying a real-time leaderboard. This setup encourages competition by allowing athletes to see how they rank against their peers instantly, driving intent and motivating them to give maximum effort on every rep.

Station B: Lateral Sled Push‍

Specific to the on-field session, this exercise aligns with the physical preparation for the session ahead. This demonstrates how testing and data collection can seamlessly integrate into training without disrupting the flow or content of the session.

Station C: RSI (10-5 Maximal Hops)

Similar to the countermovement jump, athletes attach the Output device to their foot, complete 10 maximal hops, and then efficiently swap to the next athlete using the 'quick-swap' feature. This setup reduces downtime, maximizing efficiency.

Station D: Copenhagen Hold‍

Players complete a 30-second hold on each leg. With two benches, up to eight athletes can share the station, maintaining the speed and efficiency of the other stations and avoiding bottlenecks, ensuring the session flows smoothly.

Station E: Supine Deadbug

Similar to the Copenhagen Hold, the Supine Deadbug doesn't have data tracked with Output, but coaches can implement traditional overload methods, such as reps completed or time under tension.All stations may operate on a timed rotation to ensure efficiency, with coaches choosing to implement a time cap for completing the work. For movements where velocity is less critical, such as Copenhagen Holds or Deadbugs, traditional methods of overload and monitoring can be used. For movements where velocity is key and specific KPIs are targeted, Output automatically collects and stores that data in the hub, providing staff with quick, meaningful insights without disrupting the flow of the session.

Utilising Collected Data

In addition to this physical data, teams are also able to obtain subjective measures, through the form of a daily wellness questionnaire. Looking at a combination of objective and subjective measures indicates an athletes readiness at any given time and using the dashboard coaches are able to generate "red flags" that indicate potential concerns in an athlete’s readiness.

When red flags arise, coaches can take immediate action by engaging with the athlete, investigating other factors that may affect performance, and making informed adjustments to training loads. This proactive approach allows teams to identify potential injuries before they occur, optimise workload, and deliver a more individualised training experience.

Additionally the physical data can be used to track progress longitudinally. Taking that Countermovement Jump for example, regular data points can be used to provide trends over time to see how an athlete is progressing.

Conclusion

Output enables professional teams to embed testing directly into their training, saving valuable time while providing more accurate, ongoing insights compared to traditional methods of testing every 8 weeks. At the core of this approach is Output’s simple and intuitive interface, allowing athletes to engage seamlessly with the device and transition between exercises. This streamlined setup frees coaches to focus on training rather than device management, ensuring a data-driven approach that enhances performance without disrupting the session flow.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule a demo to explore how Output could fit within your environment, click here!