Seminar :Two Problems in Soccer Analytics

Seminar| Institute of Mathematical Sciences

Time:Monday, May 19th, 2025,10:00-11:00

Abstract:This talk concerns two problems in soccer analytics that both rely on tracking data. The first problem begins with a review of average aging curves in sport. Then, a new approach is introduced which addresses personal aging curves in soccer, an essential problem of interest which has not been previously addressed. The second problem concerns the development of a metric that identifies soccer players who have a similar style to a player of interest. Whereas performance variables have been well studied, the same is not true of stylistic variables. Unlike assessments from scouting, the metric is automatic and objective. The metric is developed using a Bayesian framework.

Bio:

Tim Swartz is Professor and former Chair in the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science at Simon Fraser University. He obtained a PhD and MSc in Statistics from the University of Toronto and a BMath from the University of Waterloo. He has over 120 research publications and has written several books including an Oxford text (2000) with Michael Evans on Approximating Integrals via Monte Carlo and Deterministic Methods. He is Fellow of the American Statistical Association and is AE for five journals. Most of his current research involves sports analytics.