Why are Football Players Wearing a ‘Bra’?

You might have noticed it if you watch a lot of football, many football players are now donning undershirts that, to some, resemble sports bras.

Sports science has lately emerged as a significant aspect of football, and players routinely wear technology underneath their shirts.

Yet, the item of clothing they are donning is not a bra.

Rather, it is a cutting-edge piece of equipment designed to aid players and their clubs in physical development so they may perform at their peak.

If you were wondering about the specifics of football players wearing a ‘bra’ device, DESIblitz gives you all the information you need.

What is the ‘Bra’ Device?

Football players wear a vest that has a GPS monitoring gadget below their jerseys and occasionally over them during training or games.

The gadget logs information and statistical data about the player’s moves, which are subsequently fed into a dashboard of software that can be accessed on a laptop, tablet, or smartwatch.

These statistics are used by the majority of the top football teams worldwide, and the information is shared between clubs and international teams.

According to reports, 75% of Premier League clubs utilise the GPS device, and clubs are now permitted to access live data while watching Premier League matches.

In an interview with The Times in August 2020, STATSports co-founder Sean O’Connor stated that “people can use that data during games and make decisions.”

O’Connor continued:

“What that allows you to do is build a profile on a player. You expect a player to do X, Y, and Z in training and games.

“When they start to move away from those norms it can be for good or bad reasons.”

“If they are in a training session and there are 25 minutes left and they have gone way past what you normally expect them to do, then you can make a call to either taper it off or take them in early.

“It’s the same concept in a game as well. If the manager is deciding between two players to replace, he could ask his coach: ‘what feedback can you give, physically’.”

In the Premier League, prominent users include Liverpool and Manchester United, while international teams like Brazil and England also employ the equipment.

Why do Football Clubs use GPS Tracking Data?

The GPS monitoring information is used by football teams to optimise a player’s physical performance and reduce the danger of injury by managing the amount of pressure imposed on them.

Sports scientists and coaches that are committed to the sport utilise statistics to analyse how each person’s amount of training affects them so they may adjust a training schedule (or load) to meet their specific demands.

The GPS monitoring gadget is a crucial tool for backroom personnel, according to Guilherme Passos, a physiologist with the Brazil national team.

In a promotional video for STATSports, Passos said:

“It allows monitoring the team in a live way using the iPad.”

“So, it’s easier to give the coach live feedback about how their session is going, so it’s a very good tool for controlling the [training] load.”

The former head coach of Leeds United, Marcelo Bielsa, is an example of a coach who was always intensely analytical in his preparation for training the team and before match days.

It helps to expedite the process of applying the information to a gaming circumstance since the GPS data he has access to in the current game is highly comprehensive and is transmitted to his laptop quickly.

Tom Robinson, the first-team sports scientist at Leeds United, told reporters that “if you’re a Leeds United player now, you have to be interested in it”.

He continued:

“Otherwise, you’re not going to get the best out of yourself or fit into the process here.”

Certainly, some coaches lay higher importance on statistical analysis than others.

Do Football Players Wear any other Devices?

Football players are not permitted to wear anything on the playing field, except for the sports GPS device in the form of a bra.

The wearable chest vest’s ten times greater accuracy compared to the standard wearable watch is the justification for the use of a vest in football.

According to Ryan Warkins, director of business operations for Catapult, the company that pioneered this technology:

“Most GPS watches only record at one hertz. So one time per second. If you think of what an elite athlete can do in one second, it’s pretty significant,”

“Collecting data one time per second is inaccurate — especially when tracking superstar athletes like Thomas Müller or Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

“The Catapult system tracks at 10Hz.

“So you’re getting ten data points per second. You’re getting a much more refined system to increase the accuracy.”

As previously said, professional athletes can cut quickly, leap out of their stance, and execute a variety of other moves in a split second.

It is crucial to have the capacity to record data at each movement.

These data points are striving to provide 10 data points each second, not just during a match.

This means that you may monitor every quick movement an athlete makes while playing a game.

As the game progresses, coaches and trainers may also monitor a heat map to see where an injury happened on the field or where a player is more likely to become less explosive.

The usage of all of these data elements can improve a player’s performance.

Footballers are also better able to identify their areas for improvement thanks to these sports bras.

Players can be more aware of running less in the first half and more in the second half by viewing a heat map and specific data points.

These are all the steps that trainers and coaches are doing to prevent injuries.

Can you Purchase a Footballer GPS Sports Bra?

Even though the catapult and professional versions are somewhat expensive for business use, they provide a customised bundle for personal use too.

The catapult monitor and tracker may be purchased here on Amazon for a reasonable price.

The statistics are all measured on a smartphone rather than a computer, and the tracker connects directly to the player.

The tracker is compatible with Android and iOS devices.

The software and wearable device may provide a comprehensive report on the athlete and every movement’s monitoring, including speed, sprint, distance, power, load & intensity statistics, and placement through heat maps.

With the GPS gadget that is available for players of various sizes, you can monitor every action made by your player.

Athletes must make sure they use the right technologies to monitor performance as science and data advance yearly.

The chest vest from Catapult has completely changed how hard an athlete works and will keep doing so.

Instead of sports bras, footballers wear monitoring devices that send a wealth of data to the team’s data scientists and coaches as they play.

The tracking vests, which resemble sports bras, keep football players active and healthy despite their unassuming appearance.

With the use of these vests, athletes may recover more intelligently and effectively from injuries. Professional football players frequently wear these vests.

To assist even younger athletes in tracking their activity output, several vests may be bought separately.

Data is all around us, and when used properly, it can be a terrific tool for athletes to load and unload when it’s suitable.