“If the ball leads and the block doesn’t follow, you break.” 🔍 What if we measured defensive organisation by what truly drives it—the ball—and not by global averages? In our latest work from the Football Intelligence & Performance Department at LALIGA, we put a common belief to the test: “Compactness wins.” The data says: compactness wins only when it’s right for where the ball is. Width and depth that look fine with the ball wide can be a liability when the ball is central—and vice versa. 💡 What we built (in plain terms): ➡️ A live, ball-referenced model that tracks the defending outfield players and the ball across 4 lanes × 4 depth zones (16 “cells”). ➡️ It measures convex-hull compactness, cone symmetry from the ball to the four wide reference players, and line height via distance to own goal. ➡️ It uses team-specific baselines (identity matters) so alerts are meaningful for your way of defending—high press, mid-block or low block. 🧾 How we challenged assumptions: ▶️ Instead of league-wide thresholds, we learned normal bands per team and cell. ▶️ We looked for moments where behaviour drifted from those bands—not because players ran less, but because the block lost synchrony with the ball (often during switches). 🔹 Key takeaways for coaches & analysts 1️⃣ Coach by ball cell, not by averages. Define what “good shape” is in each lane/quarter. Your “compact” can be too wide or too deep depending on the ball’s location. 2️⃣ The bands are your metronome. The four wide players (two defenders, two midfielders) keep lateral rhythm. When the ball-to-band cones lose symmetry—especially on the far side—entries and cut-backs rise. 3️⃣ Identity-aware thresholds reduce noise. High-line teams can tolerate bigger hulls high up; reactive teams can sit deeper—until width inflates with the ball central. One standard fits no one. 4️⃣ Switches amplify risk. When the ball moves fast across lanes, fragile shapes break. Train the second shift, not just the first jump. 5️⃣ From alert to action. Live flags are only useful if they change behaviour: use short video clips + simple rules (“far side sprints to hold cone”; “step when ball leaves wing”) to close the loop. 📈 Why this matters beyond our study ☑️ Evidence across football science shows that coordinated lateral shifts and controlled line height reduce central entries and shots; our model turns that principle into real-time coaching cues. ☑️ Another consistent insight: possession profile changes defensive exposure. Teams that defend less often still need faster re-sync when they do defend—the model helps detect those rare but decisive lapses. 🔗 Applied post: https://lnkd.in/d3kyWQw8

Have you noticed how quickly trends take over, even in the most niche spaces? 🌍 It reminds us how innovation and adaptability often win in competitive landscapes—whether in card games or business strategy. From what we're seeing, Shadow has made its way to the top, and players are rethinking their approaches. Yet, some prefer staying true to the classics, choosing reliability over the latest shiny upgrade. - Trends can dominate fast, but classics offer consistency. - Do you innovate, or do you refine what already works? - Winning strategies often balance calculated risks with proven methods. The dilemma is universal: Do you stick with the ‘old and reliable,’ or pivot to the ‘new and trendy’? What approach helps you stay ahead in your industry? Let us know in the comments! #BusinessStrategy #Productivity #Innovation #Leadership #DecisionMaking #GrowthMindset #mtglegacy, #mtg, #mtgcommunity, #magicthegathering ,#mtgcommander ,#mtgmodern

❌ 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞. ✅ 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱, 𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦. Linear thinking imagines progress as predictable. 𝑂𝑛𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟. 𝑂𝑛𝑒 𝑏𝑜𝑥 𝑎𝑡 𝑎 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒. But real development doesn’t follow steps. Players plateau, regress, then leap forward. Teams fluctuate, reorganise, collapse, recover. Systems evolve through interaction, not instruction. 📖 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫: • 𝐸𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑧-𝐿𝑎𝑧𝑜 𝑒𝑡 𝑎𝑙. (2025): In handball, non-linear training improved players’ ability to 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞. Linear training only improved isolated precision tasks with poor transfer to match play. • 𝑌𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑒𝑡 𝑎𝑙. (2025): Non-linear approaches held their advantage when contexts were 𝐮𝐧𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠. In dynamic environments like football, linear progressions broke down. • 𝐶ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑒𝑡 𝑎𝑙. (2025): Simplification improved skill acquisition only when activities stayed 𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭. Step-by-step drills stripped away the adaptive benefit. ⚙️ 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞: • 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐮𝐦: Instead of “U12 → U13 → U14” as a ladder of topics, design 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑠 that reappear with greater complexity (e.g., pressing principles revisited across ages with changing constraints). • 𝐒𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧: Replace “technical before tactical” blocks with 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑎𝑠𝑘𝑠. Example: passing technique is coached inside a positional game where space and pressure demand adaptation. • 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬: Expect non-linear growth. A player regressing for 3 months may still be adapting in unseen areas. 𝑇𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦, 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑠 𝑟𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑡 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑣𝑒𝑠. • 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬: Build MDT interactions (coaches, S&C, analysts) around 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑝𝑠. Example: injury data feeds session design, which feeds tactical adaptation, which loops back into medical reporting. 📌 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞. 𝐼𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑑𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠. For leaders, the challenge is clear: 👉 𝐴𝑟𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑏𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑛𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑜𝑛 𝑝𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑟? 👉 𝑂𝑟 𝑒𝑛𝑣𝑖𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒? #FootballDevelopment #AcademyFootball #TalentDevelopment #EcologicalDynamics #HighPerformanceFootball #FootballLeadership #FootballCoaching #CoachingScience

Induced Vertical Break (IVB): A Weapon with Overlooked Considerations (THREAD) 🧵 Let's be honest, few data driven metrics have exploded in popularity across player development the way Induced Vertical Break (IVB) has over the last couple years. If you dive down the baseball social media rabbit hole, you’ll see it everywhere: data visualization of fastballs by vert, player development threads about spin efficiency, and Stuff+ models that weigh IVB heavily in projection models. While IVB is without a doubt a powerful tool, chasing it blindly can inherently become a double edged sword. Induced Vertical Break is a measure of how much a baseball resists the force of gravity compared to a “spinless” pitch. Think of it this way: Imagine throwing a ball with no spin at all, it would decline over its duration of flight downward as distance increases, more or less at a predictable rate under the influence of gravitational force. A fastball w/ backspin inherently resists that linear decline through the Magnus effect, and IVB tells us exactly how much less it falls than gravity in isolation. To be clear: a high IVB fastball doesn’t actually rise, despite how it is often described. What happens instead is that the ball drops less than hitters expect, creating a more or less optical and timing illusion for the guy standing 60'6" away in the batters box. Why does IVB matter? Whiff%: High IVB fastballs generate a significantly higher Whiff%, particularly in the upper thirds of the strike zone rooted in the optical and timing related illusion of "carry", especially in a developmental landscape driven by attack angle. Arsenal Pairing: Fastballs w/ enhanced vertical characteristics inherently pair well with pitches that attack on the horizontal plane (sweepers, sliders, changeups, breaking balls). In terms of arsenal optimization, a north/south vs. east/west separation simply plays. The high-IVB fastball plays above the barrel, while sweepers and changeups tunnel from a similar release point before separation, or vertical profile breaking ball / gryo slider offerings. Stuff+ / Run Value Models: These predictive models inherently reward IVB, especially when paired with velocity. A 95+ mph fastball with 18–20 inches of IVB scores extremely well in projection models because it consistently misses bats and limits damage when elevated. In today’s data driven landscape, where player valuation/promotions/contracts are at the mercy of model-driven data; High IVB fastballs can and often boost performance outcomes but how the organization sees future value. The industry understands the objective value of high IVB fastballs, so training/developmental stimulus often focuses on just that: “adding ride.” Check out the full thread on X here, there is a whole lot more: https://lnkd.in/eF3Zwn6K

In the analytics era, coaches are more aggressive than ever on fourth down. And yet, in end-of-game situations, they default to being more cautious and conservative. Wrote more about this tendency and why it can cost teams games in my latest on Substack 👇 https://lnkd.in/gx3Eja72

Why Attacking Through the Half-Spaces Wins Games Modern football is no longer about running down the wings. The key to dominance is control of the five lanes – left wing, left half-space, central lane, right half-space, and right wing. 🔑 Half-spaces = football intelligence By attacking through the left and right half-spaces, players combine central superiority with wide options. Defenders are forced into impossible decisions: step out and open the middle, or stay compact and allow overloads on the outside. 🔑 The FK Method in action Always +1 in the build-up → superiority from the first pass. Quick circulation horizontally to move the block. Vertical acceleration into the half-spaces to connect midfield and attack. From there, access to the “killer zones” between lines and behind the defense. 🔑 Why it matters for MLS academies In the U17–U21 development phase, players must learn when and why to attack through the half-spaces. This creates future-proof footballers who understand structure, timing, and dominance. ⚽ Attacking through the half-spaces is not a trend – it is the foundation of positional play at the highest level. Frans Kos – Tactical Visionary Founder FK Method | Football Intelligence for MLS

Sports Business Journal’s Game Changers conference was the PLACE for innovative and courageous leadership in sports and the people I met were INCREDIBLE! The core challenges I heard people care about include: - How do we personalize the fan experience across the entire buyer journey? - How do we leverage data to deliver the right story at the right time to fans? - How do we embed inspiration and motivation into our entire marketing engine? - Where is AI applicable and where is it not? The opportunity for tech to drive innovation and fan engagement is ripe for the taking. Who are the leaders that will see the opportunity and strike? I’m betting on the courageous Game Changers Class of 2025 - congratulations ladies! 🍾 🎉 #gamechangers #sportsbusinessjournal #womenssports #womeninsports

Football Meets Supply Chain - Part 5 Game Planning Is Just Forecasting with a Helmet Every team starts with a plan. They study film. They analyze tendencies. They script the first 15 plays. But then the game starts… and they adjust. That’s football. And that’s forecasting. Here’s the play-by-play: 📊 Forecasting Is Your Game Plan You analyze demand, capacity, historical data, seasonality, and set the strategy. But just like football, no plan survives first contact without some adjustments. 🔁 In-Game Adjustments = Real-Time Visibility You need tools and processes that let you see what’s actually happening, and pivot fast. 🧠 Coaches Rely on Data and Instinct Same for supply chain leaders. You don’t just follow the spreadsheet, you read the field, trust your team, and react based on what’s in front of you. 📉 Teams Lose When They Stick to the Wrong Plan Too Long In both football and supply chain, it’s not about the perfect plan. It’s about execution, feedback, and the willingness to call an audible. Great supply chains don’t just plan. They respond. They learn. They adjust. And when it matters, they win the next play. 💬 How does your team treat forecasting - fixed plan, or flexible playbook? Grab time on my calendar for a complimentary 30-minute discussion - no pitch, just perspective. #creativity #innovation #business #strategy #owscc

Interviewer: How do you measure progress of your team?  Thomas Tuchel: We look at the key figures: touches inside the opponent's box, how many players we overplay with an action or how many of our players get overplayed when in the defensive phase ("packing").  "Packing" is a football analytic method that measures how many players are taken out of the game through a successful pass or dribble. It helps gauge the effectiveness of a team's offensive and defensive actions in terms of bypassing opponents or preventing opponents from bypassing them. Offensive packing: This statistic counts how many defenders are taken out of the equation (overplayed) with each pass or dribble made by a player. For example, if a midfielder passes the ball past three opposing players to a forward, that's a "packing pass" that has taken three players out of the play. The logic is that by bypassing opponents, a team can create numerical advantages further up the field, leading to higher scoring chances. Defensive packing: Conversely, it looks at how many times players from a team are bypassed by the opponent's offensive actions. This helps in evaluating the team's defensive effectiveness.

The “Principles” offense at West Point is a case study in modern basketball thinking: spacing, autonomy, and decision-making at game speed. Assistant coaches Heather Stec and Benjamin Chase describe it as a blend of Read-and-React and Dribble-Drive, built around small-sided games and player freedom. The goals: layups, catch-and-shoot threes, and flow. Players learn through 3-on-3 and 4-on-4 games, not controlled drills. Coaches limit feedback to five words or fewer, keeping the pace fast and decisions constant. It’s about learning through doing, in carefully constructed environments. Key takeaways: - Spacing is king and pace refers to movement in half court - Quick minds and fast decisions matter more than size. - Passing > Shooting > Dribbling in their skill hierarchy. - Autonomy + clarity create joy and improvement. West Point’s practices look less like old-school drills and more like mini-games: every player involved, every moment competitive. Clarity. Freedom. Repetition without repetition. That’s the future of offense. https://lnkd.in/gsKvKgQb