Filming soccer for video analysis is more difficult than you might have thought. Where you locate a video camera tower, like the Hi Pod or Hi Rise Camera endzone camera system, is only one part of the equation. You must also get the angle of filming right. There is a difference between how you would film a soccer match for analysis purposes and how you would film it for a TV broadcast or for a promotional or recruitment video.
Capture a Wide Angle of View
If you watch soccer on TV, you will see that the image is far too zoomed in for coaching analyses. While focussing on the four or five players closest to the ball makes for good TV, it won’t give you the footage that you need for video analyses.
When you are filming a soccer team for coaching analysis, you need to get a wide angled view of the pitch. You will then able to record where the players are on the field, how they are making passes and how they are creating opportunities. For example; if you zoom in too close, you won’t be able to see a player making a run up an outside wing to position themselves for a long pass.
Height is Essential
Whether you choose a Hipod camera system, a Hi Rise Camera system or any other type of endzone or sideline camera tower system, if the video camera tower you choose does not have enough height, you won’t have the angle to capture the wide angle of view that is needed for soccer video analysis. The best type of camera tower for the filming of soccer is an adjustable telescoping tower, like the Hi Rise Camera video tower, which can be extended up to 20 ft high.
Filming from the Half Way Line
To gain the wide angle that you need for soccer analysis, the best position to film a soccer game is on the half way line. If you film from that position, using an endzone camera system as a sideline camera tower, and you use a good quality HD video camera, you will be able to take footage from both penalty areas. If there is enough space available, you should set up the camera about 10 yards back from the edge of the pitch, at the half way line, so that you will be able to see all four comer flags
Get as Many Players in the Shot as You Can
Once you have the height and the positioning, it is important not to zoom in too closely. As a rule, you need to get as many players in the shot as you can, including all the outfield players who may be able to position themselves to have an impact on the play. You don’t need to have all 22 players in shot all the time, but nor should you stay zoomed in on the one or two players who are on the ball. The goalkeeper and the defenders, for example, are unlikely to influence play during a fast upfield attack, so they would not, at this point, need to be in the shot. The wingers, however, running up the outside of the field, may become important to the play at some point, so their positioning is important to capture.
Filming a soccer game for analytical review is harder than you may think, but if you remember that it is the wide angle that you are looking to achieve, that will help you get the type of video footage that you will need. While filming from behind your own goal may sometimes be useful for analyzing the defensive positioning of players, the best place to position a Hipod or Hi Rise camera tower to film a soccer game is almost always going to be the half way line.