Football data and analytics has rapidly grown into one of the most influential areas of the modern game, shaping everything from scouting and recruitment to tactical planning and performance optimization. Whether you want to become an analyst, improve your coaching, or simply understand football on a deeper level, learning the fundamentals of football data is a valuable first step.
Below are 10 easy, actionable steps anyone can take to begin their journey into football analytics — even with zero prior experience.
1. Understand What Football Data Actually Is
Before diving into software or statistics, you need to understand what “football data” means. In simple terms, football analytics is the process of collecting, interpreting, and applying information to make better decisions on or off the pitch.
This includes event data (passes, shots, pressures), tracking data (player movement), physical metrics, and even contextual information that helps explain why certain situations occur.
Many beginners skip this conceptual foundation, but understanding the purpose of data is the best way to use it effectively later on.
2. Learn the Core Metrics Used in Modern Football
There are dozens of metrics in football, but only a handful form the foundation of modern analytics:
- xG (expected goals)
- xA (expected assists)
- xT (expected threat)
- Progressive passes & carries
- PPDA & defensive actions
- Field tilt & possession value models
A great early step is to understand what each metric measures and how it influences tactical or recruitment decisions. Once you understand these metrics deeply, you can already interpret professional data dashboards with confidence.
3. Study Real Examples From Top Analysts
One of the fastest ways to learn is to see how professional analysts communicate insights. Read tactical threads on Twitter/X, look at recruitment reports shared online, or study post-match analysis from analysts like Tom Worville, Mark Carey, or John Muller.
These real-world examples will show you the tone, structure, and depth required in good analytics work, helping you understand how data supports a clear tactical narrative.
4. Explore Free Platforms That Provide Football Data
You don’t need to spend money to start analyzing football. Several platforms offer free data access, dashboards, or visualizations:
- FBref (event data + scouting reports)
- WyScout’s free reports (limited)
- StatsBomb’s open data
- FootyStats
- Transfermarkt
Even if these platforms don’t offer advanced datasets, they are ideal for beginners who need clean, structured information to experiment with.
Some people spend months waiting for advanced data sources, but the reality is that you can learn 70% of the fundamentals with freely available resources.
5. Learn a Bit of Coding — But Only When You’re Ready
You don’t need to code to start in football analytics, but learning Python or R will massively expand your capabilities.
Python in particular is popular because it offers:
- Easy data cleaning
- Automated reports
- Custom visualizations
- Access to open-source football analytics libraries
Start slowly: learn basic operations, load CSV files, then move to plotting or simple models. Many beginners overwhelm themselves by trying to learn everything at once, but incremental learning is the best approach.
6. Practice With Real Data Projects
Nothing accelerates learning like doing your own work. Start with small, manageable projects:
- Compare two players using FBref metrics
- Analyze a team’s pressing statistics
- Create a shot map from a StatsBomb dataset
- Track a player’s season over time using progressive metrics
These projects not only help you learn, but they also become part of your portfolio when applying for jobs or internships.
Many aspiring analysts wait until they feel “ready,” but you improve dramatically faster when exploring real football questions immediately.
7. Build Simple Visualizations to Tell a Story
Good analysts understand data. Great analysts communicate data.
This is why visualizations are such an important part of football analytics. Simple charts you can learn to build include:
- Pizza charts (for metric comparisons)
- Scatter plots (for player profiling)
- Radar charts (for stylistic tendencies)
- Heatmaps (for positional behavior)
A clear and well-designed graphic often communicates more efficiently than a paragraph of text, especially when presenting insights to coaches or decision-makers.
8. Learn Basic Tactical Concepts
Football data cannot be interpreted without understanding the game itself.
Learn the fundamentals of football tactics:
- Team structures and formations
- Pressing systems
- Build-up patterns
- Rest-defence principles
- Positional play and rotations
- Defensive blocks and compactness
This tactical foundation is essential because football analytics is not just about numbers — it’s about using numbers to explain behaviors.
When you understand the tactical intention behind the data, your analysis becomes dramatically clearer and more meaningful.
9. Build a Portfolio and Share Your Work
One of the most overlooked steps for beginners is creating a small but consistent portfolio.
You can post your work on:
- Twitter/X
- Medium
- A personal website
- Substack or a blog
Sharing your work helps you:
- Receive feedback
- Build a network
- Improve your communication
- Get noticed by clubs, scouts, or agencies
Many analysts get their first opportunities simply because someone saw their work on social media, so consistent posting can be extremely valuable.
10. Engage With the Analytics Community
The football analytics community is one of the most open, collaborative spaces in sports. Join Discord groups, interact on Twitter, or attend analytics meetups and online conferences. You’ll quickly find that experienced analysts are often willing to help newcomers who show passion and curiosity.
Networking may seem intimidating at first, but building relationships in the community often leads to mentorship, collaboration, or even job opportunities.
Final Thoughts
Starting in football data and analytics doesn’t require expensive tools, advanced coding ability, or thousands of hours of study. What it does require is curiosity, consistency, and a willingness to learn step by step.
If you follow these 10 steps — from understanding core metrics to building your portfolio — you’ll be on the right path to developing real analytical expertise and contributing to one of the most exciting and rapidly evolving areas of modern football.