June 22, 2026, 12:33 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
During goal celebrations or jersey swaps, they often stand out: the tight vests many soccer pros wear under their jerseys. Colloquially, they’re often called “men’s bras.” In reality, they are high-tech tracking systems for performance analysis. TECHBOOK explains what’s behind them.
Athletes who particularly train their chest muscles and sprint intensively across the field need appropriate support. The solution is simple: a sports bra. No, of course not. Yet, on many occasions, you see male soccer players wearing a type of bustier. In fact, these are special tracking vests that serve a technical purpose. With integrated tracking modules and sensors, they collect data on players’ movements and performance.
High-Tech Vest Instead of Bra
What visually resembles a sports bra is actually a holder for a tracking and analysis system. The players’ positions are determined via global satellite navigation systems like GPS or Galileo, whose signals are evaluated by the receivers integrated into the vests. For precise positioning, signals from multiple satellites are needed. The collected data is then transmitted to the club’s analysis software and can be evaluated both live and retrospectively.
Such high-tech vests are used not only in men’s but also in women’s soccer. Many national and international professional clubs use the systems in training and–if the respective competition rules allow–also in games. These tracking vests have become standard equipment for numerous professional and national teams.
What Data the Vests Capture
The systems provide far more than just position data. Modern tracking systems can capture numerous performance parameters. In addition to running distance, speed, and acceleration, they also measure movement patterns, changes in direction, or peak loads using additional sensors. Information on sleep quality or resting heart rate can also be included in the analysis, though these usually come from separate devices or wearables.
What information the systems can provide is explained by sports physician Prof. Dr. Ingo Froböse from the German Sport University Cologne: “They record movements on the field and store the physical data,” Froböse told TECHBOOK. “Where does the player move, how fast is he? What is his heart rate? When does his willingness to run decrease?” Heart rate data is typically captured via additional sensors linked to the system.
Additionally, it can be evaluated how players behave tactically on the field and what forces, for example, act on them in duels.
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Tracking Systems Versus Coaching Experience
Many clubs now consider such systems indispensable tools for performance diagnostics. Especially in load management and injury prevention, the collected data is seen as an important basis for training and rehabilitation measures.
There are various providers of such systems. Many professional clubs rely on solutions from companies like Catapult Sports, STATSports, or Kinexon. The costs vary significantly depending on the provider, the number of players, and the functionality of the systems used.
Overall, coaches today have more data and analyses available than ever before. Games and training sessions are recorded, performance data is evaluated, and individual load profiles are created. After all, soccer is not only a popular mass sport but also a multibillion-dollar business.
Dr. Froböse has a clear opinion on this development: “It’s considered too important. It’s absurd how game evaluations are conducted nowadays. Much of it has nothing to do with the quality of the players. People hide behind science. And the individual quality of the players moves into the background.”
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“Fans Don’t Want a Mathematical Game”
Tracking systems are now used both in training and in many competitions. “I view this critically. The systems capture data and calculate metrics. For the sport and performance, it’s not automatically beneficial when decisions are made based on such data,” Froböse assesses.
In sports, chance still plays a role. Above all, the attempt at maximum optimization is not welcomed by everyone. “Fans don’t want a mathematical game; that would take away the emotion,” Froböse believes. “Individuality is lost. It no longer matters how the player feels or what individual skills he has. You always have to see: Success ultimately also depends on scoring goals.”
In fact, evaluations have shown for years that the teams covering the most ground are not automatically the most successful. High running performances alone do not guarantee victories or championships. Besides physical fitness, technique, game understanding, efficiency, and individual quality remain decisive factors.
Regardless of the criticism from some experts, data collection in professional soccer is likely to continue playing an important role in the future. Whether the technology actually decides victory or defeat remains controversial. However, it is considered highly unlikely that data analysis and performance monitoring will disappear from modern professional soccer.