As Eurobasket women’s head coach of the year and former head coach of the Germany and Luxembourg women’s national teams, alongside his club duties at BBC Gréngewald Hueschtert, Hermann Paar is deeply experienced and understands what makes a successful team.

A key pillar of Gréngewald’s analysis setup includes automatic capture technology which delivers a multi-angle video feed without the need for a dedicated camera operator. Hudl Focus is the technology Gréngewald use for both match and training scenarios which captures matches and practices to the Hudl online platform automatically. 

“One part I use Focus for is the games,” said Paar, “So I have the match schedule and the cameras start when the game starts. I use it for practice as well - I record every practice. For practice I use multiple camera angles for analysis and during live play I use the camera that follows the ball.” 

Game video highlights shared to BBC Grengewald Facebook page.

The ability to provide footage from an automated system through to Hudl online accounts means there is a streamlined delivery of feedback from coach to player. There is also the option to livestream games from Focus to YouTube - an effective solution for spectators to watch matches when crowds are restricted due to Covid-19. 

“It’s useful to provide some video cuts to show the players how well they did and when we used good tactics.” said Paar. “I can show the players what they are doing wrong for training purposes, and also before we prepare for games.”

I record every practice. For practice I use multiple camera angles for analysis and during live play I use the camera that follows the ball. Hermann Paar - Head coach, BBC Gréngewald Hueschtert’

The next step of the automated capture and analysis workflow is for the video to be sent to Hudl Assist to provide a comprehensive and interactive analysis of the game - delivered within a 24 hour turnaround period.

How does Assist work? Video is submitted with the click of a button, Hudl’s team of professional analysts tag team statistics on both sides of the ball, and then within the 24 hour window the analysis is available within the Hudl platform.

“I really like having the footage directly online after the game finishes. The footage is also proper quality. And then the second thing I really like is to have delivery of statistics and cuts within 24 hours.”

“So with Hudl Assist, this package for me is really helpful as I really like having the footage directly online after the game finishes,” said Paar. “Hudl Focus gives you an advantage over other teams who don’t have it, I save a lot of time and I’m so much more prepared.

Statistical shot chart created through the Hudl platform using Hudl Assist.
Grengewald's players and coaches use the Hudl library to upload, watch, and feedback on video footage.

So if for example, we play on a Sunday and we have Monday practice, I have all the video cuts and information about the game ready to go. We can talk about the game and then have team meetings and review these cuts and information. Not all coaches do it in this way.”

Automated capture is a very effective solution, but the video quality needs to be high to provide the level of analysis that a leading team desires. This is no problem for Paar and his high-performing team.

“The Focus footage is quality and I can send highlights and video cuts for all players to their Hudl online account for their use,” said Paar. “This is enough for what we need, to send the video cuts to the players on their smartphones or laptops to show game films from here in the gym. So for that it’s perfect and good communication in that way.”

Record, upload and livestream automatically: Learn how Hudl Focus is innovating modern basketball analysis here.