For those not familiar with football terminology, phrases like “striking the post” and “direct free kick outside the 18” may sound unfamiliar. However, for a football scout, these are everyday terms that play a crucial role in assessing a player’s value to a team. This language is now understood by Scout Advisor, an innovative tool using natural language processing (NLP) and built on the IBM® watsonx™ platform specifically for Spain’s Sevilla Fútbol Club.
A scout’s responsibilities include observing practices, communicating with young players’ families, taking notes on games, and completing follow-up paperwork. Paperwork is a significant part of the job, as emphasized by Victor Orta, Sevilla FC Sporting Director, during his conference at the World Football Summit in 2023.
Sevilla FC faced a paperwork overload in 2021, with up to 40 scout reports per player and over 200,000 reports on potential players to organize. Combining expert observation with data analysis was crucial. While quantitative player data was accessible, extracting qualitative information was slower.
Sevilla FC established a dedicated data department in 2021 to aid in decision-making. When faced with challenges in organizing scout data, the club sought a reliable partner and found IBM. The partnership led to the development of Scout Advisor, powered by IBM watsonx.ai™.
Scout Advisor uses natural language processing to sift through player data and present results in a user-friendly interface. The tool aims to revolutionize player recruitment by leveraging expert opinions from scouting reports expressed in natural language.
The pilot program for Scout Advisor began in January 2024, with positive reviews. The tool is set to be used in the summer 2024 recruiting season, enabling scouts to focus on human tasks while making data-backed decisions.
Sevilla FC Chief Data Officer Elias Zamora believes Scout Advisor has the potential to transform player recruitment. The technology allows for the extraction of valuable insights from scouting reports, enhancing decision-making processes.
Scout Advisor’s NLP technology has the potential to revolutionize sports recruiting and decision-making processes. Zamora considers it the most revolutionary technology in football and invites others to explore the possibilities of watsonx technology for their teams.
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