We visited the headquarters of the Football Association of Ireland to learn how they use the all-new Hudl Focus Flex portable camera to automate their capture and analysis workflow both on the training ground and live on match day.
Capture, analyze and share on the training ground with Focus Flex
The FAI use Focus Flex both locally and across a number of European locations. The camera can be set up anywhere, anytime.
On the training ground, Focus Flex integrates with Hudl Sportscode to provide multiple angles of capture - both tactical and extra wide tactical angles.
“The benefits for us for the tactical angle is that it provides HD quality footage, which is clearer than it was before,” said FAI Head of Performance Analysis Gerard Dunne. For the extra wide tactical angle, it provides us with footage we can use for both livestream and is particularly good for the coaches”.
Discover more about how Hudl Focus now streams both Tactical Angles
Footage captured on the Flex camera is shared almost instantly to the Hudl.com platform for player and coach review via WiFi or 4G connection.
“The Hudl Focus Flex portable camera allows us to save as much time as possible and move fast with our analysis,” said Dunne.
We can set up the Flex camera anywhere and the automatic capture means we can work on our analysis straight away and not have to worry about filming”.
The match day experience with Focus Flex
Time to put the lessons from the training ground into action on match day.
The multi-angle capture of the Focus Flex camera is crucial to getting the best possible view of the action as the match takes place.
“What it allows us to do is focus on all 20 outfield players, previously this was difficult for us because of the angles of the camera that we had, or the gantry position,” said Dunne.
Focus Flex integrates directly with Hudl Sportscode to add live coding to the multi-angle footage.
“Using Hudl Sportscode live on match day, we take the footage directly from the camera into Hudl Sportscode, we set up a capture window and take in the multi-angle, both tactical and extra wide tactical,” said Dunne. “We can then code the game live”.
Focus Flex as part of the FAI’s future
The FAI analysis team work with seven Mens and four Womens teams, from Under-15 age group, all the way up to Senior level.
“We’ve had the Focus Flex camera for over a year and a half,” said Dunne. “We love it, we’ve gone and purchased 11 cameras and its been a huge help for our underage analysts, particularly as most of them are working solo.
The time saving they’ve had, the quality of the footage, the ability to live capture and also make that footage available to coaches straight away, half time or on the bus on the way back to the hotel, it’s been incredible”.