If you watched the FIFA Men's World Cup last year or have been keeping up with Major League Soccer, you may have noticed some men's soccer players wearing an unusual accessory under their shirts. When players remove their jerseys at the end of the game or while celebrating a goal, some are wearing what looks like a sports bra underneath.
Perhaps you saw it when Inter Miami CF's Lionel Messi swapped shirts with Orlando's Rafael Santos after the Aug. 2 Leagues Cup final (shown above) or when South Korea's Hwang Hee-chan scored against Portugal during a Dec. 2 match at the 2022 World Cup (shown below).
Men's soccer players have been wearing these sports-bra-like harnesses for the last few years, as it turns out, but with soccer culture getting a boost in the US and more eyes on the sport than ever, many viewers are getting their first look at them and are (understandably) a bit confused. So what actually is the "sports bra" under their jerseys?
It's not there for pec support or to prevent chafing (although, hey, maybe it helps?). The "sports bras" worn by men's soccer players are actually GPS tracker vests. Each vest has a tracker in the back — as you can see on Santos, above — that provides a ton of data for coaches, trainers, and players to learn from. According to Catapult Sports, which sells them, GPS vests can measure how much and how hard the players are working, including things like "total distance, top speed, number of sprints, sprint distance, power, load, [and] intensity."
In other words, after a tough game or practice, the coaching staff can immediately find out how much effort their players exerted and tailor subsequent training sessions accordingly or tweak their recommendations for recovery. It can also provide interesting nuggets of info for fans, such as the fact that Polish striker Robert Lewandowski recorded the highest average distance walked during the group stage of the 2022 World Cup, just edging out Messi, according to FIFA data via The Athletic. Meanwhile, US left back Antonee Robinson reached the fourth-highest top speed in the group stage at 35.4 kilometers per hour (nearly 22 miles per hour).
These might just be fun facts to most of us, but they're also useful pieces of information for a coaching staff. This data can help coaches get their players back into good condition for their next match or craft a better plan to secure victory — and the sports-bra-like GPS vests are what provide the insights.
That all makes sense, but why go with a vest instead of a wrist tracker like a fitness watch? According to Catapult Sports, it's for accuracy and safety. "The vest holds the pod in the optimal position for tracking so it can reach the GPS satellites," the brand explains. "This makes sure the data is as accurate and reliable as possible." That placement is also "proven" to be the safest location for athletes playing highly physical sports like soccer, basketball, and football, the brand adds.
Plus, if the soccer players' GPS trackers didn't look like sports bras, they wouldn't be able to go full Brandi Chastain after a big win. What are all those data points without an iconic goal celebration, right?
As a seasoned sports technology enthusiast, my knowledge extends deep into the realm of innovative tools and gadgets that have revolutionized the way athletes and teams approach training and performance analysis. I have closely followed the integration of technology in various sports, and one noteworthy advancement that has caught my attention is the use of GPS tracker vests in men's soccer.
The article touches upon the "sports-bra-like" accessories worn by men's soccer players, emphasizing their role as GPS tracker vests rather than conventional sports bras. This is a development that has been in play for several years, yet it is gaining prominence due to the growing interest in soccer, particularly in the context of events like the FIFA Men's World Cup and Major League Soccer.
The GPS tracker vests, as highlighted by Catapult Sports, serve a crucial purpose beyond mere aesthetics. Positioned on the back, these vests house a GPS tracker that gathers a wealth of data. This information includes metrics such as total distance covered, top speed, number of sprints, sprint distance, power, load, and intensity. The data collected offers valuable insights for coaches, trainers, and players to analyze and optimize performance.
For instance, the ability to assess the players' exertion levels during a game or practice enables coaching staff to tailor subsequent training sessions and recovery plans accordingly. The article provides examples, citing the FIFA data via The Athletic, showcasing interesting statistics like the highest average distance walked by Polish striker Robert Lewandowski during the 2022 World Cup group stage.
The decision to use a vest, rather than a wrist tracker like a fitness watch, is rationalized by Catapult Sports for reasons of accuracy and safety. The vest's optimal positioning on the athletes' backs ensures accurate and reliable data by facilitating direct communication with GPS satellites. Moreover, this placement is considered safe for athletes engaged in highly physical sports like soccer, basketball, and football.
In essence, the article sheds light on the multifaceted role of these GPS tracker vests, dispelling the notion of them being mere "sports bras." The integration of technology in sports not only enhances performance analysis but also contributes to strategic planning and injury prevention. As a passionate advocate for sports technology, I find such innovations fascinating, as they bridge the gap between traditional athleticism and cutting-edge data-driven insights.
