In the evolving world of football analytics, INSAIT JOY smart shin guards stand out as a game-changer. By seamlessly integrating smart football trackers into shin guards, INSAIT JOY captures 16 metrics by processing over 540,000 data points in a 90-minute match. This article breaks down the data definitions and explores how these metrics—from distance covered to max kicking power—empower coaches to refine team strategies, manage player workloads, and reduce injury risks, while helping players benchmark growth and optimize positional performance.
1. Distance Covered & Distance per Min
Definition:
- Distance Covered: Total meters a player travels during a session.
- Distance per Minute: Average distance (m/min), calculated by dividing total distance by session duration.
Value:
Distance Covered could be vital for load management and positional-specific analysis. Elite male players typically cover 10,300-11,500m per match, with central midfielders covering 11,300-12,400m—significantly higher than central defenders (9,600-10,400m). Teenagers (15–17yo) typically log 7,000–9,000m, rising to 10–12km for players aged 18–20. Tracking these numbers with INSAIT JOY smart shin guards helps coaches tailor training intensity and avoid overexertion. Players can also benchmark against their peers: a 17-year-old midfielder covering 9,500m is on track, while an 18-year-old attacker at 8,500m may need endurance work.
While Distance Covered reflects overall workload, Distance per Minute highlights how sustainably a player maintains their output. Coaches can use this metric to balance training intensity. For instance, a player logging 140m/min in a match might need reduced high-intensity drills post-game to avoid overtraining. Sudden spikes in distance per minute (e.g., jumping from 100m/min to 120m/min) sometimes may signal unsustainable effort, increasing injury risk. Coaches can adjust workloads to ensure gradual adaptation.
Young players can also track progress by increasing distance per minute over time. For example, a 16-year-old improving from 80m/min to 90m/min demonstrates growing aerobic capacity. Teenagers (15–17yo, averaging 78–100m/min) can also use this metric to gradually build toward adult benchmarks (e.g., 18–20yo players targeting 111–133m/min).
By contextualizing Distance Covered and Distance per Minute with positional and age benchmarks, coaches can optimize player fitness, while athletes can gain clarity on how their stamina stacks up against elite standards.
2. Sprints, High-Speed Runs & Related Metrics
Definitions:
- High-Speed Runs: Speeds of 4.2–5.3m/s sustained for ≥0.6 seconds.
- Sprints: Bursts >5.3m/s for ≥0.6 seconds.
- High-Speed/Sprint Distance: Total meters in these zones.
- Average Sprint Distance: Sprint distance ÷ sprint count.
Value:
These metrics quantify explosive efforts and empower coaches to refine training specificity and to reduce injury risks with actionable, data-driven insights. A winger’s frequent sprints (e.g., 40 sprints totaling 600m), for example, underscores their role in stretching defenses. Coaches can use these metrics to optimize training targets.
The new Average Sprint Distance metric in INSAIT JOY 5.0 adds another critical depth to analysis. A winger with 30 sprints averaging 12m (total 360m) vs. one averaging 8m (240m) highlights differing neuromuscular loads. Coaches can adjust training for players with shorter, frequent sprints (higher fatigue/injury risk) versus longer, strategic bursts.
Tracking average sprint distance with smart football trackers also help players to track progress and benchmark against both peers and elite standards. A 16-year-old improving from 10m to 15m per sprint demonstrates not just explosiveness but sustained speed endurance. Elite wingers, for example, often average 15–20m per sprint—a target for aspiring players.
3. Top Speed
Definition:
- Maximum speed (m/s or km/h) achieved during play.
Value:
Tracking Top Speed with football tracking devices like INSAIT JOY Smart Shin Guards helps coaches identify speedsters and strategize around pace advantage or disadvantage. For instance, full-backs with lower top speeds may need tactical adjustments to compensate.
Monitoring top speed improvements also motivates players in self-development. A striker improving from 9m/s to 9.5m/s gains a critical edge in breakaways. Young players can also use this data to build toward elite standards: Elite males players typically can hit 32–34km/h (8.9–9.4m/s), and females can reach 27–28km/h (7.5–7.8m/s).
4. Top Acceleration
Definition:
- Fastest acceleration (m/s²) from rest or lower speed over ≥5 meters.
Value:
Rapid acceleration (e.g., 3.5m/s²) helps players beat defenders 1v1. Coaches can monitor this metric for load management and design drills to improve explosiveness safely, as frequent high-intensity accelerations may increase injury risk. For youth players, tracking acceleration growth (e.g., 2.8m/s² to 3.2m/s² at 16yo) signals effective strength training.
5. Sharp Turns
Definition:
- Directional changes ≥130 degrees within 1 second.
Value:
Midfielders averaging 20+ sharp turns per game may indicate agility but also face higher injury risks. Coaches can use this data for injury prevention, prescribing balance drills, while players can benchmark against peers: a 17-year-old executing 15 turns on average can aim for 18–20 with targeted plyometrics.
6. Use of Left & Right Foot
Definition:
- Ratio of ball touches per foot.
Value:
A midfielder with a 90/10 right/left ratio risks predictability, as it limits passing angles and shot options. This metric allows coaches to encourage ambidexterity for positional versatility, for example, wide defenders needing reliable weak-foot crosses to exploit flank opportunities. Youth players improving from an 80/20 to a 70/30 ratio gain tactical flexibility, becoming harder to defend and more adaptable in tight spaces.
Unlike traditional GPS football tracking devices (typically worn on the back), INSAIT JOY Smart Shin Guards place football player trackers on both legs, directly measuring foot-specific actions. This unique design ensures precise tracking of left/right foot usage, which is critical for drills targeting weak-foot development. For example, a coach can identify if a right-footed winger overrelies on their dominant foot (e.g., 85% right-foot touches) and design drills to balance their output. Similarly, youth academies can monitor progress over time, ensuring players build foundational two-footed skills early in their careers.
By capturing true bilateral performance, these smart football trackers provide insights GPS systems cannot replicate, turning foot preference data into actionable pathways for tactical refinement and holistic player growth.
7. Jump & Max Jump
Definition:
- Jump: Any leap ≥0.15m.
- Max Jump: Highest jump recorded.
Value:
Central defenders averaging 15+ jumps per game (max 0.6m) dominate aerially. Coaches can monitor jump developments to track player progress: a 16yo increasing max jump from 0.4m to 0.5m improves aerial duels.
8. Max Kicking Power
Definition:
- Peak force applied to the ball, including shots/passes/clearances.
Value:
Max kicking power showcases leg strength. This allow coaches to assign certain roles based on power or target strength training to improve shooting power.
9. Calorie
Definition:
- Total energy expended (kcal).
Value:
Elite players burn 1,200–1,500kcal per match. Coaches can use this for nutritional planning and recovery strategies, while youth players correlate calorie burn with growth phases.
Summary
INSAIT JOY Smart Shin Guards transform raw data into actionable insights for load management, injury prevention, and player development. By comparing metrics like sprint distance or top speed, coaches can craft targeted training, while players can track their growth against age and position-specific standards.
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- Learn more about how these smart football player trackers can revolutionize your performance
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