Malaru's Blog
Maybe Ill start to use my blog spot...
I enjoy reading other members blogs and sometimes I got stuff I want to say but just dont feel like making a thread for it- so why not use this space. Im sure I wont be posting on here as much as others, but ive been a stats nut all my life, though im not so sufficently trained in it as the wiz or others (ie- Im not exactly edumacated (sic)).Im trying to decide what I want to do with my next big paycheck- I got a load o over time comming up combined with holiday pay and Ill have an extra grand hanging around- and im trying to decide is I want to go to the 'sino sense Ive not been in a while- or if I want to buy that new replacement computer- mine is getting a bit old and just pure worn out and I love playin games on my 'puter and I cant play anything newer then maybe 2008.
The wiz was asking not long ago about more areas to use his knoweldge. I am a soccer official- is there a place for me to use stats as an official on game day? Is there some sort of pattern I could do homework on and put together? Maybe I could find patterns or flaws on teams and better know if I want to run a left or right diagonal. I tell you what is hard for me to do out on the pitch is to find and remember players who constantly foul other players. Just an idea, I dont foresee how it could be used to great effect.
Well here is my first blog of I hope will be many. Even if it just ends up me talking to myself. :)
Comments
h'mmm... I wonder.
You said "pitch" not "field" so I would hazard a guess that you are a soccer official in the UK although perhaps "pitch" is used in Canada as well. I wonder though, "run a left or right diagonal" at first made me think you were refering to some sort of team's strategy but this would be a coach's decision and I've no idea what a "diagonal" is in soccer, so I conclude that what you are referring to is a pattern that you might run as a referee so as to be in a better position to see the action.
Find and remember the players who constantly foul? Well, you either saw the foul or you didn't. No, I'd not invest money in a computer for applying statistics to a soccer game... I'd recommend a trip to the casino with the money instead. You do not want your statistical expectation that a certain player would foul because he often fouls to in any way influence what you actually saw and had to rule on.
Actually Ive lived in Florida all my life. Im used to using the term pitch I think because just about everything I read about and on soccer is mentioned from usually forein points of view. (Graham Poll's books for example- or just most of them really). As for the players who foul... you get dozens of fouls in a game that you dont have to show a card for- you just give a free kick to the other team.. and between everything else its sometimes hard to really recall who did the fouling by number. I sometimes cant remember a single face from the field as a whole and sometimes I think its better that way because it keeps me from focusing on this one person- but if they re roughing up everyone else and Im not seeing it or realizing it- then thats a serious problem let go no? As for the right to left diag. Im referign ot how the center ref goes over the field- the center official runs from corner to opposite corner most of the time if your looking at the field from the main sideline the referee is doing \ sort of line on the field. [\] but sometimes (10%?) one will elect to do the other route [/]. I think there could be found a good reason to reverse your route and how you play based on the game your going to be at. Maybe something as simple as if the attackers are left footed or right footed or which way the wind is blowing... Id say the biggest condition woudl be if it helps with sunglair but thats pushing it for a reason. I want something that woudl help better the game.
An exmaple of stats in soccer and the fouls ect would be that I think it was something like 3/4ths or more - maybe as much as 90% of the fouls in a game occure in the center 1/3rd of the field. Half way between both goals. So Ive seen it in use... I just think theres got to be some sort of opportunity here- something that takes an envisionary to discover- a decent way to go about it all.
No Id not foresee spending lots of money trying to figure something small like this out. But in other countrys this is big bucks and the idea is not foreign to them to sink money into such ideas.