GUIDE · MATCH ANALYSIS
How to Analyse a Football Match as a Player
A simple method for watching football to get better, not to win arguments: one player in your position, five things to track, and a worksheet that turns 90 minutes into one training target.
Take the free test →Quick answer: To analyse a football match as a player, watch one professional who plays your position instead of the ball. Track five things: scans before receiving, body shape, first-touch direction, off-ball runs, and what they do in the 3 seconds after their team loses the ball. Then compare your notes with your own last match and pick one thing to train that week.
Fan watching vs player watching
When you watch as a fan, your eyes follow the ball. You see goals, shots and fouls. That’s fine for enjoying the game, but it teaches you almost nothing about your own job on the pitch.
Most guides on how to analyse (or analyze, if you’re in the US and call it soccer) a match are written for analysts and coaches. They talk about formations, pressing triggers and expected goals. Useful for a coach. Too wide for a player.
As a player, you’re studying one job: yours. A centre-back watching a centre-back, a winger watching a winger. Most of what that player does happens without the ball, which is exactly the part a fan never sees and a TV camera often cuts away from.
The rule: for the whole time you’re analysing, the ball is not your subject. If you catch yourself watching the ball, find your player again.
Before the game: one player, one question
Two decisions before kick-off make the whole thing work.
1. Pick one player in your position
Choose someone who plays your role in a system close to your team’s. If you’re a full-back in a back four, watch a full-back in a back four, not a wing-back in a back five. If you’re not sure, pick the player whose job you’d most like to copy.
2. Pick one question
Write down one question you want answered. Good questions are specific to something you struggle with. For example:
- “Where does a holding midfielder stand when the centre-backs have the ball?”
- “What does a winger do when the full-back behind them has the ball?”
- “How does a striker get free from a centre-back who’s marking tight?”
One question stops you trying to see everything and seeing nothing.
Practical tip: use full-match replays or extended highlights if you can, because normal highlights only show the ball. If you only have a TV broadcast, accept that your player will sometimes be off-screen and note what you can.
During the game: the 5 things to track
You don’t need to track all five every time. Start with two, add more as it gets easier. Use tally marks: one line each time you see it.
1. Scans before receiving
Does your player look over their shoulder before the ball reaches them? Count how many times they turn their head in the few seconds before a pass arrives. There is research behind this one. A 2020 study of one Premier League club’s players across a season (Jordet and colleagues, in Frontiers in Psychology) found that players who scanned more before receiving were slightly more likely to complete their pass. The authors say the effect was small and the study shows a link, not proof of cause, but it’s a habit you can see and copy.
2. Body shape when receiving
Is their body open, side-on to the pitch, so they can see forward and play forward? Or square to the passer with their back to where they want to go? Mark “open” or “closed” for each receive you can see.
3. First-touch direction
Where does the first touch take the ball: forward, sideways, backwards, or dead at their feet? A first touch that moves the ball away from pressure and towards the next action is often a decision made before the ball arrived.
4. Off-ball runs
When a teammate has the ball, what does your player do? Count runs and note the type: towards the ball to offer a pass, in behind, or a run that drags a defender away to free someone else. Also note when they stand still.
5. The 3 seconds after losing the ball
The moment their team loses possession, does your player press the ball, cover a space, or switch off? This is where effort and understanding show, and it’s rarely in highlights.
Our decision-making guide goes deeper on scanning and choosing options. For a quick check on your own decisions, try the free 8-situation test.
A worked example
The notes below are made up to show the method. They’re not from a real match and the numbers aren’t real stats. Your own notes will look different.
Setup. You play central midfield in a 4-3-3. You watch the first half of a match, following only the deeper central midfielder on one team. Your question: “How does he get free to receive when the opponent’s number 10 is close to him?”
| Thing tracked | Example tally (first half) | Example note |
|---|---|---|
| Scans before receiving | Looked before most receives, missed a few when the ball came quickly | Checks both shoulders when the ball is with the centre-back, not just once |
| Body shape | Open on most receives | Stands side-on, so he can play forward or back without turning |
| First-touch direction | Mostly forward or sideways, rarely backwards | When pressed from behind, touches sideways away from the presser |
| Off-ball runs | Lots of short movements, few long runs | Moves a few steps away from the 10 just before the pass, not early |
| 3 seconds after losing it | Usually steps into the space in front of the back four | Doesn’t chase the ball. Protects the middle first |
Answer to the question: he gets free with short, late movements away from his marker, after checking where that marker is. He doesn’t sprint. He times it.
That’s a whole half of football turned into one clear idea you can test in your own game.
84 pro games, chosen for players to study
The Game Library gives you 84 professional games to watch and analyse, with notes to compare against your own. No guessing which match to pick.
After the game: compare with your own match
Watching a pro only helps if you hold it up against yourself. Within a day or two, look at your own last match. Video is best. If you don’t have any, write down what you remember honestly, or ask a teammate or coach.
Fill in the same five rows for yourself. Then ask one question: where is the biggest gap?
Using the example above, a player might notice: “He checks his shoulder before almost every receive. I mostly look at the ball until it arrives, then I have to turn under pressure.” That gap is your target.
Don’t compare everything. You won’t have a Premier League player’s speed or strength this week. Compare the things you can change by deciding to: where you look, how you stand, which way you take your touch, when you move.
Turn your notes into one training target
One target per week. Write it as something you can count.
- Weak: “Scan more.”
- Better: “Check both shoulders before every pass I receive in training this week.”
- Best: “Check both shoulders before every pass I receive. A teammate counts how many I miss in the first 10 minutes of the session.”
Then use it in the next match and mark it on the worksheet. Next week, watch the same player again or pick a new question. After a few weeks you’ll have a list of habits copied from players in your position, each tested in your own games.
If you’re working towards trials or a higher-level team, this weekly loop fits into the 12-week plan in our guide on how to get scouted without an academy.
The worksheet
Copy this table into your notes app or print it. Fill the left side while watching the pro, the right side after your own match.
| Thing to track | Pro player: tally | Pro player: note | Me: tally | Me: note | Gap? (Y/N) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scans before receiving | |||||
| Body shape (open / closed) | |||||
| First-touch direction | |||||
| Off-ball runs (type) | |||||
| 3 seconds after losing it | |||||
| Player watched: Match: My question: | |||||
| Answer to my question: | |||||
| My one target this week (something I can count): | |||||
Which games to watch first
Start with games where your player’s team has a clear style, because patterns are easier to spot. A few starting points by position, with what to look for. These are things to check for yourself, not claims about any one match:
- Holding midfielder: a deep midfielder in a possession team, such as Rodri. Watch where he stands when his centre-backs have the ball, and how often he looks around before it arrives.
- Striker: a striker who links play as well as scores, such as Harry Kane. Watch when he drops towards the ball and when he stays high, and what happens to the space he leaves.
- Winger: a winger who beats players one-on-one. Watch the moments before the 1v1: where they receive, which foot, and which way their body faces.
- Centre-back: a centre-back in a team that plays out from the back. Watch body shape when receiving from the goalkeeper and where the first pass goes.
The Game Library has 84 pro games picked to study, so you’re not wasting a weekend on a match where your player is barely involved. For position-specific detail, the position packs cover the striker, winger, number 10 and defender.
Learn to analyse a player, a game, a team and yourself
The Basics Kit has 10 guides, including full methods for analysing a player, a game, a team and your own matches, plus worksheets, a training system and a 12-week plan. $47, one-off.
FAQ
How do footballers analyse games?
Players usually focus on their own role rather than the whole game. Pick one player in your position, track a few specific things like scanning, body shape and off-ball runs, then compare with your own match and choose one thing to work on.
What should I look for when watching football to improve?
Watch what one player in your position does without the ball: scans before receiving, body shape, where the first touch goes, the runs they make, and what they do in the 3 seconds after their team loses the ball.
How can I analyse my own football performance?
Film a match if you can, or ask a teammate or coach to watch. Rate yourself on the same five things you track for pros, write down evidence for each, find your biggest gap and turn it into one countable training target for the week.
Which players should I watch for my position?
Pick a player who plays your role in a system close to your team’s. A full-back in a back four should watch a full-back in a back four. Teams with a clear style make patterns easier to spot.
Does watching football make you a better player?
Watching as a fan helps a little. Watching with a plan helps more: one player, one question, notes, then testing what you learned in your own training and matches.