FieldWiz football wearable on track for sporty analysis

Swiss made device hits Indiegogo, seeking to improve your beautiful game
1402-original
Wareable is reader-powered. If you click through using links on the site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

FieldWiz is looking to bring professional football analysis to the Sunday League masses with its strategy measuring system for outdoor team sports.

For years, professional football players have been wearing tracking devices in training, so their coaches can see who’s in tip-top condition and who’s been out on the beer the night before.

Stat Sports’ Viper Pod is used by 17 Premier League teams as well as Barcelona and Juventus, and a host of American football and basketball teams. The trouble is that, at around £4,000 for the system, it’s hardly viable for amateur or even semi-pro teams.

It’s coming home: How wearable tech is about to change football

That’s where FieldWiz wants to come in. Currently seeking funding on Indiegogo, the Swiss company sees its tracker costing around $200. Pledging $2,900 to the campaign will get you a set of 14 – enough for your whole squad.

The FieldWiz tracker attaches to a player’s back, sitting in a dedicated vest, and tracks a range of metrics including distances run, time spent in play, speed variables, acceleration and sprint counts.

20141022135106-play3-1415266288-qKLo-full-width-inline

It’s a similar setup to the miCoach Speed Cell that Adidas offers with selected football boots.

The company envisions extra metrics such as heart rate monitoring, ball possession stats and a completed pass count being added to the system in the future.

The FieldWiz wearable syncs with a smartphone or tablet using Bluetooth and the data can be used to analyse a player’s performance and to motivate him or her to improve certain aspects of their game.

Guide: How to stay injury free with wearables

It’s a great idea and, with the International Football Association Board, the body in charge of the laws of the football, in discussions to allow tracking devices to be used during matches – it may well be a perfectly timed one as well.

FieldWiz is hoping to ship its devices in April or May next year. You can back the campaign on Indiegogo now.


How we test



Paul Lamkin

By

Wareable Media Group co-CEO Paul launched Wareable with James Stables in 2014, after working for a variety of the UK's biggest and best consumer tech publications including Pocket-lint, Forbes, Electric Pig, Tech Digest, What Laptop, T3 and has been a judge for the TechRadar Awards. 

Prior to founding Wareable, and subsequently The Ambient, he was the senior editor of MSN Tech and has written for a range of publications.


Related stories