TSG and SAP revolutionise match analysis

It started with a hackathon for SAP engineers. The aim was to develop a prototype that combined the power of immersive technology and SAP solutions. The SAP Sports One team won the race with a prototype that harnesses the potential of spatial computing in football match preparations. TSG Hoffenheim is placing its trust in the solution devised by SAP Sports One, which helps sports organisations to optimise performance on and off the pitch. The German Football Association (DFB) and FC Bayern Munich also count on SAP Sports One.

TSG's analysts and players are now entering revolutionary new territory. They can replay and analyse match scenes in 3D from the perspective of any player. The immersive user can switch back and forth between the perspectives of different players to better understand a specific situation during a match. This immersive experience enables a new kind of match analysis: it is easier to recognise situations where a player taking different action might have been better. "TSG Hoffenheim are an innovative club that is always looking for new technologies to improve match preparation and talent development,” said head of match analysis Timo Gross, adding: "Immersive match analysis could be the next big step."

Via an app on the Apple Vision Pro, this prototype aims to enable TSG to optimise their performance even more – whether it is preparing for the next match or analysing past performances. Analysts and players can replay and analyse match scenes in 3D from the perspective of any one player. "This improves player training and tactical understanding. In fact, I believe this has the potential to pave the way for a new approach to player development, especially in the academy," explained Gross, who continued: "This immersive prototype shows a match analyst the exact perspective of a player at a given moment. This makes it easier for the player to transition from looking at a theoretical situation on a tactics board to the real moment on the pitch."

For Gross, the 3D visualisation of classic 2D tactical scenes is another powerful function of the prototype. With the SAP Challenger Insights mobile app, coaches and players can sketch match situations on a tablet. These 2D sketches can be transferred to the immersive 3D view.

On 5 February 2025, the prototype was presented at the SPOBIS conference in Hamburg, Europe's largest sports business event. In addition to Timo Gross, experts such as Dr. Dietmar Blicker, the Deputy Managing Director at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Sport and Sports Science, Michael Oenning, a UEFA Pro License Coach, and Fadi Naoum, the Senior Vice President at SAP Sports and Entertainment, discussed the potential of immersive technologies in sport live on stage.

"This prototype is the result of our ongoing collaboration with partners such as TSG Hoffenheim, with whom we are constantly testing innovative technologies. For SAP, sport plays a pioneering role in demonstrating new technologies that can potentially be used in other industries," said Fadi Naoum.