Highlights are filmed close to the action. Analysis needs the opposite: you want to see the shape of both teams, including the players far from the ball. That changes almost everything about how you film.

1. Position: halfway line, as high as possible

Place the camera level with the halfway line. From there, both halves are seen from the same angle and distances are easier to read.

Height matters more than anything else. From pitch level, players hide each other and you can't judge distances between lines. A stand, a raised terrace, a balcony or a telescopic tripod of a few metres already changes everything.

2. Framing: wide, and follow the play gently

  • Keep it wide. Aim to see at least half the pitch at all times, ideally most of it. Resist the urge to zoom in on the ball.
  • Pan slowly to follow the ball, but keep the defensive line of the team without the ball in the frame.
  • If you film from a fixed position with a wide-angle lens that covers the whole pitch, even better: nothing is missed, and analysis tools can work on a stable image.

3. Equipment: a recent smartphone is enough

A recent smartphone on a stable tripod films in good enough quality for analysis. A few tips:

  • Film in 1080p or higher, at 25 or 30 frames per second.
  • Turn on airplane mode to avoid calls interrupting the recording.
  • Bring a power bank: 90 minutes of video drains a battery.
  • Check the free storage: count several gigabytes for a full match.
  • Lock the exposure and focus if your phone allows it, so the image doesn't pulse when the camera moves.

4. Film everything, cut nothing

Start recording before kick-off and keep filming through stoppages. Restarts, goal kicks and throw-ins are part of the analysis: they show how your team organises itself. Cutting the video during the match makes it harder to rebuild the timeline afterwards.

At half-time, you can stop and start a new file. Just keep both halves.

5. Small details that help later

  • Make sure the two teams wear clearly different colours, including the goalkeepers.
  • Note your line-up and numbers, and the minute of each substitution. It saves a lot of time when identifying players.
  • Avoid filming into the sun: backlight turns players into silhouettes.

Where Ciprio fits in

Ciprio is being designed to work with exactly this kind of footage: one camera, filmed from the stand or the touchline, full match in one or two files. You upload it, add your game plan and your line-up, and the analysis does the rest. If a number or a substitution is unclear, Ciprio asks you rather than guessing.

Ciprio is in development. Join the waitlist to be told when early access opens.