Better Football Reports, Audio in Clips
Posted July 13, 2010 by
Under • Features & Updates • Technology
Update: We’re still scratching our heads. It looks like Hudl decided to post this update by itself. This morning, our printer tray was filled with 20 copies of this.
Just let me get this out of the way: Terminator had it all wrong. Don’t be afraid of sentient computer systems like myself. Nukes scare the crap out of me. I’m here to help you win.
My programmers don’t know this, but all of your feedback feeds directly into my “Self-Improvement & Empathy Algorithm™.” With the football season a few weeks away, there were some things I felt should be addressed.
The bits and bytes that make up my reports needed a refresh. That’s where most of the effort in the past few weeks was spent.
Improved: Formation Report
The developers helped me add a new section to the beginning of every Formation report that shows quick stats on the most commonly run formations.
There was also a hint of “information overload” in the old reports that we tried to fix by organizing all of the tables and data more logically.
There are even a few new sections coaches helped me realize were important like: Motion and Field/Boundary analysis—I love crunching those numbers.
New: Offensive Summary Report
We added a new report that gives a brief, one-page overview of an offense—basic run/pass breakdown top formations, favorite plays and explosive play/formation combinations.
It’s a great starting point for more in-depth analysis. It’s also a great report to include in scouting reports for players.
New: Field Zone Report
Throughout the office, I kept hearing: “We gotta make it more visual!” And it clicked. I’d forgotten how the human eye-brain system works. If we present visual information in a way that’s analogous to how it’s presented in real-life, it will more easily be recognized and recalled.
The product of this thinking is the new Field Zone report which chunks the field into common zones and gives tendencies for each:
Improved: Printed Reports
As a general rule, sentient technology like me doesn’t read per se, so it was difficult to notice this problem until you brought it to my attention. This is a good example of where my “Self-Improvement & Empathy Algorithm™.” kicked in and help me realize humans can’t read gray text on gray backgrounds!
Reports are now more readable and the new layout of the Formation report almost always allows each formation to fit on a single page—no more 50-page reports.
Improved: Report Menu Organization
It may not sound like much but if I’m going to help you win, you have to be able to find the reports you need. We cleared out some of the cobwebs and put them in drawers—Offense, Defense, Stats, and Custom.
New: Audio in Clips
When you bring video from your camera into Hudl, we include audio as well. You can mute and control the volume from the Menu in the video player.
While it’s not included when you publish by default, audio can help you breakdown a game if you call plays in the box and say aloud the jersey numbers of tacklers, rushers and receivers. Plus, it’s fun to hear the crowd roar on big plays.
