The NFL is making player tracking data available online in real-time for Sunday’s Pro Bowl. For the first time, fans will be able to follow live player movement and see run-pass predictions based on years of historical data.
Every player in every game already wears RFID chips from Zebra Technologies in their shoulder pads, but that data has not been widely accessible and never to this extent in live games. Only a few Next Gen Stats are typically published per game.
During the Pro Bowl, fans will be able to replay key moments and receive alerts on notable statistics. The league said player movement will lag live action only by milliseconds. Before each snap, a sliding scale showing likelihood of a run or pass play will appear below the field diagram. Once a player is handed or catches the ball, a ball icon will appear on his circle.
This web experience, available through a new Next Gen Stats portal, is an experiment during the 2019 Pro Bowl. It will not be replicated for the following week’s Rams-Patriots Super Bowl, and there is no assurance of its return in future seasons.
SportTechie Takeaway
The Zebra-collected Next Gen Stats offer a wealth of information that not only is of interest to team personnel but also to fans curious for more insights about each play. This rudimentary Pro Bowl experience is an exciting first step in what the tracking data’s potential could be if the NFL continues developing the technology.