- New digital platforms to support enhanced data-driven research and analysis focused on the workload demands of men’s and women’s players
- PWM platforms will monitor player workload metrics relating to match load, recovery and travel of over 1,500 professional footballers worldwide
- Launch marks the latest stage of development for Player IQ, FIFPRO’s player-centric knowledge centre for the football industry
FIFPRO has launched the first dedicated player workload data platform for women’s football as part of enhanced monitoring of the match calendar’s impact on the health, performance and careers of footballers.
The FIFPRO Player Workload Monitoring (PWM) platform, operated in collaboration with Football Benchmark, was established in early 2021 and has gradually evolved over recent years. It tracks workload metrics including the match load, distance travelled, and rest and recovery, of professional players from across the world.
As women’s football continues to evolve, the platform aims to help women’s football decision-makers to make informed data-based decisions about the development and sustainability of competitions that put player health and performance first.
Women's Player Workload Monitoring Platform
The new PWM platform will also support Project ACL, a FIFPRO initiative with the PFA, Nike and Leeds Beckett University that aims to develop best practice to reduce Anterior Cruciate Ligament injuries in women’s football. As part of this initiative, FIFPRO and Football Benchmark intend to further increase the size of the player sample within the women’s football platform again later this year.
"We are pleased to launch the new PWM platform exclusively for women’s football," said Sarah Gregorius, FIFPRO’s Director of Global Policy and Strategic Relations for Women’s Football. "As our industry continues to grow rapidly, it’s essential that all stakeholders take informed decisions underpinned by accurate data and research.
"We want to work proactively with other stakeholders to develop women’s football, while at the same time protecting the health and rights of players. The data gathered within the PWM tool will hopefully inform discussions on workload and calendar, in turn helping all stakeholders – from players to clubs and federations – make the best decisions for the health and performance of the athletes who are at the heart of the game."
The new men’s football PWM platform now tracks over 1,500 players, featuring over 120 different nationalities spread across every FIFPRO Division. The development of new metrics will provide further insight into the demands placed upon modern players. This includes the integration of enhanced analysis on back-to-back matches, squad utilisation and matchday squad inclusions, aimed at providing an even more accurate picture, over time, of the holistic impact that the match calendar and overlapping competition structures continue to have on players.
Alexander Bielefeld, FIFPRO’s Director of Global Policy and Strategic Relations for Men’s Football, said. "PWM has proved to be an essential data-driven tool to support our discussions on player workload and the international match calendar over recent seasons. The recently enlarged player sample and new data metrics facilitates new opportunities for regional analysis across all of our divisions and ensures that PWM remains the leading platform to provide macro-level analysis on player workload."
Men's Player Workload Monitoring Platform
Andrea Sartori, Founder and CEO of Football Benchmark, expressed his enthusiasm following the extension of the PWM partnership. He said: "We take great pride in the partnership between Football Benchmark and FIFPRO, which has been ongoing since 2021, aimed at supporting a cause of paramount importance to football.
"The PWM platform is an indispensable tool for stakeholders, aiding in the protection of players' health and the sustainable growth of the sport, and our continuous collaboration with FIFPRO further supports this. I am especially excited about the launch of the PWM platform exclusively focused on women's football, marking a significant and important milestone in our cooperation and our mission."
In September, following the recent conclusion of the UEFA EURO and Copa America, FIFPRO will publish new Player Workload Monitoring reports for both men’s and women’s football, providing an analytical review of player workload over the past 12 months.
