Sports analysis is a process whereby an athlete, team or coaching staff reviews and analyses their own performance in training and competition and produces acquired knowledge to aid a positive impact on future performances. The analytical process is often referred to as ‘feed-forward’ and it is critical that coaches and athletes understand the importance of this and ensure they use this information positively.

The rapid advancements in technology have made the analysis of sport a significant area of research and development with many sports teams now employing data science and statistical methods within their analytics departments to enhance decision making, talent scouting and game strategy development. The mechanical detail of specific skills and broader passages of play are analysed to identify flaws in technique, track improvements during preparation and even evaluate the effectiveness of coach and athlete feedback processes.

Analysis is used by both amateur and professional clubs across all sporting disciplines. It is widely employed in elite sport to anticipate an oppositions strengths and weaknesses, improve rehearsed performances and even develop and implement new tactics or game strategies.

Sports analysts also apply their analytical skills to other aspects of a sporting organisation, such as analyzing fan behavior in order to optimize online retail sales and understanding how fans trade-off variables such as ticket location and food & beverage options when purchasing tickets and merchandise. Generally, a bachelor's degree in a field such as sports management or statistics is required. Additional qualifications include strong IT, math and programming skills, familiarity with analytics software and coding languages, and a deep knowledge of various sports and gameplay nuances.  Sports analysis