Ryan O'Hanlon

So set piece scoring, corner kicks, throw-ins, it's at a higher rate than it's ever been since we've been recording this data.

But then open play goal scoring is at a lower rate than it's ever been.

Because if you're lining up a corner kick and being very specific about the details and where you want the ball to go,

It takes a lot of time to figure that out.

And the clock doesn't stop.

So in the Premier League this season, the ball is in play less than it's ever been since they've been recording the data.

So like the part of soccer that people tend to fall in love with, which is not set plays, it's kind of the creative on the fly thinking there's less of that than ever before.

Yeah, I think if fans are going to be able to see an offside decision within the margin of one centimeter being correct, they're not going to care if all the other aspects of soccer are gone.

I'm just kidding.

But I think that's a great question.

But it's something that's happened in a lot of the other major sports.

Baseball is run by all people that went to Ivy League schools.

The data analysis is way beyond anything you would see in public.

And

they realized that it made the sport worse because it was all home runs and strikeouts.

The ball was never in play.

So there is a definite, like, it's the league's and governing body's responsibility to make sure the sport is fun, and it's the team's responsibilities to try to find out how to win.

And you have to try to figure out a way to make those things balance.

Before the age of data analysis, this wasn't as much of an issue, I don't think.

Now it is.